Mix therapy could help tinnitus sufferers

Talking therapies combined with the soothing sounds of the sea can help relieve the misery of tinnitus, a new study has revealed. The researchers found that sufferers benefit more when psychological techniques are used alongside current standard treatments, which create sounds to mask the ringing in the ears. Around one in seven Britons has suffered from tinnitus, the medical term for hearing ringing, buzzing or whistling noises inside the head. The condition is apparently triggered by over-active nerve cells within the hearing area of the brain. Although there is no cure, therapies which use a generator to mask the ringing by creating a competing sound on a similar frequency - such as the sea - can significantly relieve distress. Cognitive behavioural therapy, in which patients are encouraged to discuss their problems, can also help patients to think differently about the conditionand live with it long-term. However, there is little evidence about which treatment works best. Now, for the first time, Dutch scientists have combined both approaches for those suffering with mild or severe tinnitus. Their study of 492 patients found that those treated with both techniques saw significant improvements in their quality of life after a year, compared with sufferers who underwent standard sound therapy. Even after a year, the combination of CBT and sound techniques worked better than usual care. In particular, there were greater improvements in countering negative thinking and fear caused by the condition. Researchers Dr Riana Cima and Professor Johan Vlaeyen, of Maastricht University, said that the research provided 'firm evidence' of an effective new treatment for sufferers, many of whom have to deal with 'psychological strain'. "The results are highly relevant for clinical practice because best practice for tinnitus has not been defined and current treatment strategies are fragmented and costly," the Daily Mail quoted them as saying. Writing in The Lancet, Berthold Langguth, of Regensburg University in Germany, said: "Most importantly, the findings overcome the idea that nothing can be done to treat tinnitus."