| Famous tinnitus sufferers
• Actor William
Shatner started experiencing it after a loud explosion on the set of one of the old Star
Trek episodes. He says it contributed to the breakup of his second marriage, and even made
him consider suicide.
• Other famous tinnitus sufferers in history include
Beethoven, Michalangelo, and Charles Darwin. Today, stars like Sylvester Stallone, Steve
Martin and Barbara Streisand have all said they have tinnitus.
Good vibrations?
• In parts of China, tinnitus is a sign of wisdom.
In some places in Turkey, it's considered good luck. In some religious sects in India,
it's believed to be the voice of God.
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If
you've ever attended a loud concert, you've probably come home with a bit of ringing in
your ears. For some people, that ringing never goes away, and it has nothing to do with
listening to loud music.
Between 10 and 20 per cent of the population suffers from
tinnitus — a chronic ringing or buzz in your ears that won't go away. While it's
often caused by inner ear damage, it can also be due to bad blood circulation, medication,
or even stress.
We don't know exactly why tinnitus occurs in some
patients, but not in others. And we're not really sure how to treat it. There are ways to
make it more bearable, no surefire way to make it disappear.
Two projects are underway right now in Ottawa to find
some answers. At the Ottawa Hospital, an audiologist thinks that visual therapy could be
the answer. And a team of researchers at Carleton University are trying to find out what's
the best coping strategy for people who suffer from untreatable conditions.
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