New Hope for Bagpipers Suffering from Tinnitus

The New Scientist reports on a new study published in the journal Nature that reveals the reduction of tinnitus in rats through external stimulation of a nerve in the brain.

“The team played tones in a range of frequencies, except those that caused tinnitus, to seven rats with the condition while stimulating their vagus nerve, a cranial nerve known to affect brain plasticity.

They repeated the process 300 times a day. After 18 days of this, the rats showed a significant reduction in tinnitus-related behaviour, which lasted three weeks. No change was seen in those given a sham treatment.”

A device for humans is in the works and could be a boon to serious bagpipers everywhere. (Anyone with permanent ringing, you know what I’m talking about.)

  • It’s really worrying to feel that symptoms , sometime I can’t hear a sound and I can hear only a very little sounds. It’s not actually happening so often, well I hope it’s not this decease.

  • Kevin Troake

    I have had Tinnitus for more years than I can remember, used to be High Pitched Tones now it can be as if I am in the woods and there are hundreds of Birds twittering.
    Recently I have been hearing Scottish bagpipes, thankfully a lone piper and not a band lol.
    The thing to remember is that its only noise. I am losing my hearing and have 2 hearing aids which I am told should help to mask the problem, but as its the higher voice tones that I cannot hear properly I try to avoid wearing them when there are women gossiping. At times its hard but try not to let it get you down too much, I enjoy reading, which I prefer to do in a quiet room, the tinnitus can and does affect my concentration slightly but concentrating on something other than the TINS does help.

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