Medical Treatment For Tinnitus And A New Hope
Many people think that there is no cure or medical treatment for Tinnitus but a recent breakthrough might prove otherwise. If you are suffering from Tinnitus then this new remedy might be just the one you were looking for.
* What is tinnitus?
Tinnitus is a condition where a person “hears” a ringing sound in one’s ear despite any actual sound being present in the environment. People with tinnitus often complain of a ringing noise in their ears which drowns out all other noises, often making it very uncomfortable. This type of ringing is often compared to transient ear ringing but tinnitus is a more chronic and persistent ringing which can also take the form of roaring, chirping or hissing in some cases.
* How common is tinnitus?
It is estimated by the American Tinnitus Association that over 52 million people in the United States have tinnitus and for about 15 million of them, the symptoms are severe enough to warrant getting medical treatment. And an estimated 3 million people have a very severe case of tinnitus that inhibits them from day to day activities such as attending school or their employment.
* How can you get tinnitus?
Older people are more at risk at getting tinnitus than others but there have been reported cases of children as young as 14 getting it. Mostly, tinnitus can happen due to age related hearing loss or nerve damage in the ear, which is why it’s most common among older people. Younger people can get tinnitus by exposing their ears to sudden and loud noises which can damage the ear. Tinnitus can also occur due to excessive ear wax buildup, use of certain medications, sinus infections, trauma to the lower head or neck area or medical conditions such as high blood pressure, thyroid and diabetes.
* Traditional medical treatment for tinnitus
Tinnitus used to be thought of as a purely psychological condition but not anymore. Once tinnitus was acknowledged to be a medical condition, modern day medicine has come through with prescription medication, stress and anxiety treatment and in some extreme conditions even surgery.
Typical medications use to cure and treat tinnitus have been anti depressant drugs such as Xanax, antihistamines that reduce allergies and some heart medication. There have also been some breakthroughs in homeopathic remedies that some claim to help. For those people that do not like to take traditional medication, homeopathic remedies is an alternate option.
* New breakthrough treatment for tinnitus: Neuromonics
A new treatment option for tinnitus has just been introduced by the medical community which might give new hope to people who have tried other medications and remedies and are still suffering. This new treatment is called Neuromonics or Sound Masking as it’s also called. The concept of Neuromonics is simple. Low levels of sounds are transmitted into the ear by way of an earphone or earpiece, which is similar to static noise, with the intension of distracting the patient. It is hoped that this new sound will be less annoying and more comforting to the person and with time will drown out the more annoying sounds of tinnitus. Although this is not for everyone, with continued use and a little bit of getting used to, scientists believe that the brain will eventually “mask out” the annoying sounds of tinnitus and simply dial it out of perception.
Neuromonics treatment is done through a portable electronic device call the Oasis ™. Once patients have gone through a set of hearing tests, masking sounds are customized to that patient and are loaded onto the Oasis. Patients who have participated in studies have reported that they can sleep better and also perform day to day chores better than they have been able to do.
Once a patient has been administered Neuromonics treatment for a while, the masking sound is cut back for short periods of time to let the tinnitus sound be heard. This is done so that the brain can get exposed to the two sounds alternately and gradually get used to and in tuned with the more relaxing masking sound. The goal is to train the brain to completely ignore the annoying ringing sounds and get used to a more relaxing masking sound.
Although retraining might be done successfully, the results might be short term as the brain might get accustomed to the tinnitus sounds once masking sounds are turned off. Thus doctors recommend used Neuromonics once or twice a week for 2 to 3 hours at a time to maintain the effectiveness of the treatment.
Caffeinated Content for WordPress
What are the Risks in Receiving Medical Treatment Abroad?
(c) 2008 Medical-Tourism-Guide.com
The first question that a potential medical tourist has is whether or not there are risks in receiving medical treatment abroad. It is understandable that there would be such a question; however one must look at it logically. Yes, there are risks, but no more so than having the treatment in your own local medical facility.
Medical tourism is on the rise, with an annual increase in usage of 20-30% in many countries. Ten years ago, the concept of medical tourism was new and received bad media coverage in developed countries. It was misunderstood and given bad press. Today, that trend has not only reversed, but medical tourism is being embraced as a viable option for people in need of affordable medical care.
The incredibly discounted prices are not those of the unregulated, back alley operations that are in every corner of the world. These are prices offered by fully accredited state of the art facilities, equipped with the latest technology and staffed with some of the best trained doctors in the world.
You may wonder how it is that a foreign country can offer what your own country cannot. If you live in the United States, the answer is very simple. The cost of insurance propels the medical field into a high cost service. Doctors in the U.S. pay an exorbitant amount in malpractice insurance, facilities have high overhead expenses and insurance policies on their buildings, equipment, and the staff who are employed there. Someone needs to pay for all of those insurance policies, and unfortunately that someone is the patient. Although the same type of costs are incurred in other countries, it is at a fraction of the price, thereby allowing the facility to offer services at a much lower rate.
You will be encouraged to learn that several facilities that offer medical tourism are accredited by the IOS (International Organization of Standardization) and the JCI (Joint Commission International). Most of the doctors who work in these medical tourism facilities have studied in the developed countries and then have returned to work in their home countries.
When trying to decide which doctor to outsource medical needs to, a patient should use the same process as would be used at home. It is imperative that references are done and credentials are confirmed. Most new facilities are also equipped with the latest equipment such as heart mapping equipment, CT Scanners, Open MRI machines, heart catheterization labs, digital ultrasound and mammogram machines and more. Phone and email conversations with former patrons of the facility will give you critical information concerning the cleanliness of the building and is well worth your time and effort. Most tourists report that they were allowed to stay for a full recovery period, and that staff were very attentive. Many facilities have translators standing by who are fluent in every language.
Some countries have been providing top quality medical services for hundreds of years. If a person would travel thousands of miles to vacation, why not travel that far to have a medical procedure done? If a person is willing to risk having a foreign doctor perform the procedure in the developed country (E.G. a cardiologist from India, working in Chicago) why does that person not trust going to the same caliber cardiologist in the country of India itself? If a person is willing to fully research the hospitals and credentials in their homeland, why not check the ones abroad and save money by choosing a facility abroad?
Lower cost certainly does not mean lower quality! Case studies and statistics verify that medical tourism offers top quality medical care in accredited facilities. Reading such cases will be an encouragement to you, as you realize that millions have traveled abroad to receive their medical treatment, and consider that their experience was actually superior to what they have previously had at home! For years, the only press given was that of the back alley practices in foreign lands. There have been many stories aired about poor sanitation that has led to infection, and those that have had poor surgery which has led to extensive scaring. Those random stories are not the norm and can be found in every country, including the one you currently reside in.
The risks of choosing to have surgery abroad are no greater than at home. Just as one needs to research doctors and facilities in a home country, one also needs to research the options available in another country. Just as it is true that there are both good and bad available in developed countries, the same is true in tourist destination spots. Anyone considering surgery should research thoroughly and choose a facility wisely. There are resources available that can aid you in your decision making process. Fear of the unknown should not be a reason to pay high costs or go without medical treatment. This is the 21st Century and we are living in a global medical community that has no borders!
