Tinnitus is not a disease but an annoying symptom that indicates something is wrong in the auditory system, which includes the ear, the auditory nerve that connects the inner ear to the brain, and the parts of the brain that process sound. Tinnitus is commonly described as ringing in the ears.
Although one may hear tinnitus in their ears, its source actually is in the networks of brain cells (neural circuits).
Tinnitus is the result of abnormal interactions between neural circuits that are out of balance. This damage in the inner ear changes signaling activity in the auditory cortex, the part of the brain that processes sound. The neural circuits involved in hearing are not just processing sound but also communicate with other parts of the brain such as the limbic region, which regulates mood and emotion.
There are many causes of tinnitus such as:
- Εarwax blocking the ear canal
- Noise-induced hearing loss
- Ear and sinus infections
- Diseases of the heart or blood vessels
- Meniere’s disease
- Brain tumors
- Hormonal changes in women
- Thyroid abnormalities
- Aging
- Side effects of medications (More than 200 drugs are known to cause tinnitus when one starts or stops taking them)
People with tinnitus also may have symptoms of chronic fatigue, depression, anxiety, mental and emotional anguish as well as problems with memory and concentration. According to Harvard Medical research Biofeedback can help relieve the symptoms associated with the complexity of tinnitus.
The procedure using Quantum Biofeedback to reduce the symptoms of tinnitus is as follows: The client is connected to the limb and head harnesses of the Medical Quantum Biofeedback device which detects sensitive body voltammetric reactivity signals. These signals are then fed into the Medical Quantum Biofeedback device and the computer (Cybernetic Loop) which displays visual and or sound signals that indicate levels of stress measuring heart rate variability ECG, brain rate variability EEG waves and EMG measuring muscle tension and GSR measuring galvanic skin response also known as electro-dermal response (EDR). Galvanic skin response (GSR) also measures electrical conductance in the skin which is associated with the activity of the sweat glands. The more emotionally aroused or stressed one is, the more active the sweat glands are and the greater the electrical conductivity of the skin. EMG GSR is also effective in treating phobias, anxiety, excessive sweating and even stuttering due to stress.
The client during the Quantum Biofeedback session is encouraged to relax, do deep diaphragm breathing techniques as well as positive affirmations, and to correlate them with the rectification changes in the display. The brain emits many electrical signals of various frequencies. The main categories of brain waves are: • Beta (worry state) • Alpha (calm relaxation) • Theta (meditation) • Delta (deep sleep)
The goal of Quantum Biofeedback is as we measure the brain rate variability waves we can train the body to be in a more harmonized, balanced state of well being as a result reducing the stressors that cause tinnitus and relieving the symptoms.
Bibliography
- Han.MD, B. I., Lee. MD, H. W., Kim, MD, T. Y., Lim, MD, J. S., & Shin, MD, K. S. (2009). Tinnitus: Characteristics, Causes, Mechanisms, and Treatments. Journal of Clinical Neurology, 5(1)(10.3988/jcn.2009.5.1.11), 11–19. Retrieved August 30, 2022, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2686891/
- Davis, K. (2022). Tinnitus: What is this ringing in my ears?. Medical News Today. Retrieved August 30, 2022, from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/156286
- Roth, E. (2019). Why Are My Ears Ringing? Healthline. Retrieved August 30, 2022, from https://www.healthline.com/health/tinnitus
- Tinnitus. (2014). Harvard Health Publishing- Harvard Medical School. Retrieved August 30, 2022, from https://www.health.harvard.edu/hearing/tinnitus
