Ear Ringing Relief Can Be Hard To Find
BOSTON (CBS) - Some are calling it an epidemic. In recent years, doctors have seen a dramatic increase in the number of patients with a constant and annoying ringing noise in their ears.
It's called tinnitus and finding relief can be difficult.
"If you've never had tinnitus, you just can imagine how terrible it is," explained Patricia Creek who has suffered from tinnitus for years.
The American Tinnitus Association says there are now people as young as 12 complaining of it.
Many doctors believe the increase is due to kids playing music too loudly and too often on their iPods and other music players.
WBZ-TV's Paula Ebben reports
"Maybe not now, but decades from now, those young people are going to have enough hearing loss that they will be susceptible to tinnitus," explained hearing specialist Dr. Todd Hillman.
Find: A Tinnitus Clinic Near You
Tinnitus is also affecting thousands of veterans who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"Tinnitus and hearing loss are the number one and two disabilities from returning vets," explained Noreen Kapp, director of the Tinnitus program at a Pennsylvania VA health care center.
Some doctors are now using neuromonics to help treat their patients.
It's a device that uses classical or new age music to retrain the part of the brain that is making the noise.
Dr. Hiillman says he's seen great success with the treatment.
"When we first started this, I thought it was another gimmick. Frankly, I was surprised," he said.
The device is FDA-approved but the treatment is expensive. It can run thousands of dollars for a year long treatment program.
