Tinnitus Today June 1997 Vol 22, No 2

June 1997
Volume 22, Number 2
Tinnitus Today
THE JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN TINNITUS ASSOCIATION
"To promote relief, prevention, and the eventual cure of tinnitus for
the benefit of present and future generations"
Since 1971
Research- Referrals- Resources
In This Issue:
Elderly People and Tinnitus
Barometric Chan ges and the Ear
New Drug Research
You Can Overcome Your Tinnitus
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Il I
I'! II.
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Tinnitus Tod~y
Editorial and advertising offices:
American Tinn itus Association/
P.O. Box 5 Portland, OR 97207, 503/ 248-9985,
800/ 634-8978, http://www.teleport.com/ Nata
Executive Director & Editor:
Gloria E. Reich, Ph.D .
Associate Editor: Barb ara Thb achnick
Tinnitus Tbday is publish ed quarterly in
March, J une, September, and December. It is
mailed to members of the American Tinnitus
Association and a selected list of tinnitus sufferers and professionals who treat tinnitus.
Circulation is rotated to 75,000 annually.
Th e Publish er reserves the right to reject or
edit any manuscript received for publication
and to reject any advertising deemed u nsuitable for Tinnitus Tbday. Acceptance of advertising by Tinnitus Tbday does not constitute
endorsement of the advertiser, its products
or services, nor does Tinnitus Tbday make
any claims or guarantees as to the accuracy
or validity of the advertiser's offer. The opinions expressed by contributors to Tinnitus
Tbday are not necessarily th ose of the
Publisher, editors, staff, or advertisers.
American Tinnitus Association is a nonprofit human health and welfare agency
under 26 USC 501 (c)(3)
Copyright 1997 by American Tinnitus
Association. No part of this publication may
be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system ,
or transmitted in any form, or by any means,
without the prior written permission of the
Publisher. ISSN: 0897-6368
The Journal of the American Tinnitus Association
Scientific Advisory Committee

Ronald G. Amedee, M. D. , New Orleans, LA
Robert E. Brummett, Ph.D ., Por tland, OR
Jack D. Clemis, M.D., Chicago, IL
Robert A. Dobie, M.D., San Antonio, TX
John R. Emmett, M.D., Memphis, TN
Chris B. Foster, M.D., La Jolla, CA
Barbara Goldstein, Ph .D., New York, NY
John W. House, M.D., Los Angeles, CA
Gary P. J acobson, Ph.D., Detroit, Ml
Pawel J. Jastreboff, Ph.D ., Baltimore, MD
Robert M. Johnson, Ph. D., Portland, OR
William H. Martin, Ph.D., Philadelph ia, PA
Gale W. Miller, M.D., Cin cinnati, OH
J. Gail Neely, M.D., St. Louis, MO
Robert E. Sandlin, Ph.D., El Cajon, CA
Alexander J. Schleuning, II , M.D.,
Portland, OR
Abraham Shulman, M.D., Brooklyn, NY
Mansfield Smith, M.D., San Jose, CA
Robert Sweetow, Ph.D., San Francisco, CA
16 Sizing Things Up
by Barbara Tabachnick
Honorary Directors
The Honorable Mark 0. Hatfield

Tbny Randall, New York, NY
William Shatner, Los Angeles, CA
Legal Counsel
Henry C. Breithaupt
Stoel Rives Boley Jones & Grey,
Portland, OR
Board of Directors
Edmund Grossberg, Northbrook, IL
W. F. S. Hopmeier, St. Lou is, MO
Sidney C. Kleinman, Chicago, IL
Paul Meade, Tigard, OR
Stephen M. Nagler, M.D., Atlanta, GA
Philip 0. Morton, Portland, OR, Chmn.
Aaron I. Osherow, Clayton, MO
Gloria E. Reich, Ph.D., Portland, OR
Jack. A. Vernon, Ph.D., Portland, OR
Megan Vidis, Chicago, IL
Volume 22 Number 2, June 1997

Tinnitus, ringing in the ears or head noises, is experien ced b y as many
as 50 million Americans. Medical help is often sought by those who
have it in a severe, stressful, or life-disrupting form .
Contents
8
9
New Drug Research for Tinnitus

by Barbara Tabachnick
11 Air Bag Ruling? - Still Up in the Air

by Barbara Thbachnick
12 Back Issues of Tinnitus Tbday
13 You Can Overcome Your Tinnitus
by Steven M. Nagler, M.D.
14 New Scientific Advisory Committee Members
15 Book Review
by Harvey A . Pines, Ph.D.
17 New Support Network Volunteers

1 7 'Thlking to Myself
by Theris Aldrich
18 Barometric Changes and the Ear
by Barbara Thbachnick
24 ATA Across the U.S.A.
by Pat Daggett
Regular Features
4
6
From the Editor

by Gloria E. Reich, Ph.D.
Letters to the Editor
21 Questions and Answers

by Jack A. Vernon, Ph.D.
25 'Iributes, Sponsors, Special Donors, Professional Associates
Cover. "Outdoor Still life" (s oft pastel) by Margaret Ackerman, PO Box 1099, Ignacio, CO,
811 37, 970/884-2603. Ms. Ackerman is a professional artist and ATA member.
From the Editor

by Gloria E. Reich, Ph.D.,
Executive Director
Welcome to several people who

will be furthering the cause of
tinnitus and the ATA. You'll be
reading elsewhere in this issue
about three new members of
the scientific advisory committee: Pawel J. Jastreboff, Ph.D.;
Gary Jacobson, Ph.D.; and
Robert Sweetow, Ph.D. All are well-versed in
tinnitology and we look forward to their wise
counsel. At the same time we bid a grateful
farewell to advisor Richard Goode, M.D. who has
contributed greatly to ATA's growth and success.
ATA's board of directors also continues to
grow. The latest additions to our governing board
(who you'll read about in the next issue) are
Sidney Kleinman from Chicago, Illinois, and
Stephen Nagler, M.D. from Atlanta, Georgia. We
warmly welcome them and look forward to
working with them to further ATA's progress.
You may wonder how a person gets to be
an ATA board member. Well, one route to ATA
board service is to serve on a committee. That's
a good way to get to know the people who are
responsible for ATA's well-being and to determine whether you want to commit to the very
considerable responsibility ofbeing a board
member. If you'd like more information about
becoming seriously involved with ATA, ask me.
I'll be happy to answer your questions and
promise not to twist your arm too tightly.
Now, here's a way that everyone can help.
Write to your legislators in support of tinnitus
research. Every legislator votes on these kinds of
issues, primarily by their support of the National
Institute on Deafness and Other Communication
Disorders. Some legislators have a greater influence due to their membership on the appropriations committees of the House and Senate.
These people are particularly important to contact and we hope you'll write to as many as possible. Obviously you'll have the most influence
on the ones who've been elected by your vote.
Your own words are the most effective
means of communication but sometimes it's easier to modifY a letter that's already been started.
Here's the general idea of what needs to be said.
4 Tinnitus Tbday/ June 1997
The Honorable xxxxxxxx

United States Senate or
United States House of Representatives
Room Number XXXX, xxxxxxx Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
Dear Senator xxxxxxx, Or,
Dear Congressman/woman xxxxxxx,
I'm writing to ask you to support tinnitus research by voting for an increase in
the budget for the National Institute on
Deafness and Other Communication
Disorders (NIDCD). The President has only
recommended a 2. 6% budget increase for
the National Institutes of Health (NIH)
which would mean a decrease in real dollars available for research. Please support a
real increase in the NIH budget of at least
the 9% advocated by the Joint Steering
Committee.
Please, also, consider becoming a cosponsor of Congressman Gekas' resolution
calling for a doubling of the NIH budget.
Once you've committed to increasing the
budget for hearing research, please remember to specify that some of it must be spent
on tinnitus research. Those of us who have
tinnitus are relying on you to help. We're
eager to receive effective treatment and get
on with our lives. That can only happen if
research identifies the cause of tinnitus and
suggests appropriate clinical interventions.
In my own experience with tinnitus ...... .
[Here's where you can tell your own story
about how tinnitus has affected your life,
both in the workplace and socially.]
I am a member of the American Tinnitus

Association, the only non-profit organization
devoted to promoting tinnitus research and
helping those who have it. You and your
staff can personally join the fight to cure
tinnitus by a pledge to ATA (#0514) in the
Combined Federal Campaign.
Please listen to me so that I won't have
to listen to these infernal tinnitus sounds
for the rest of my life. Your vote to increase
hearing and tinnitus research is crucial. I
thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely yours,
From the Editor
(continued)
Below is a list of the most crucial House

Appropriation Committee members to contact.
Their Room numbers and Buildings are listed
after their names.
Robert B. Aderholt, AL
Sonny Callahan, AL
Jay Dickey, AR
Jim Kolbe, AZ
Ed Pastor, AZ
Randy Cunningham, CA
Julian C. Dixon, CA
Jerry Lewis, CA
Vic Fazio, CA
Ron Packard, CA
Nancy Pelosi, CA
Esteban E. Thrres, CA
David E. Skaggs, CO
Rosa DeLaura, CT
Carrie Meek, FL
Dan Miller, FL
C.W. Bill Young, FL
Jack Kingston, GA
Thm Latham, IA
John Edward Porter, IL
Sidney R. Yates, IL
Peter J. Visclosky, IN
Tbdd Tiahrt, KS
Anne Meagher Northup, KY
Harold Rogers, KY
Robert L. Livingston, LA
John W. Olver, MA
Steny H. Hoyer, MD
Joe Knollenberg, MI
Marin Olav Sabo, MN
Mike Parker, MS
Roger Wicker, MS
W. G. Bill Hefner, NC
David E. Price, NC
Charles H. Thylor, NC
Rodney Frelinghuysen, NJ
Joe Skeen, NM
Michael P. Forbes, NY
Nita M. Lowey, NY
Jose Serrano, NY
James T. Walsh, NY
David L. Hobson, OH
Marcy Kaptur, OH
Ralph Regula, OH
Louis Stokes, OH
Ernest J. Istook, OK
Thomas M. Foglietta, PA
Joseph M. McDade, PA
John P. Murtha, PA
Zach Wamp, TN
Henry Bonilla, TX
Thm DeLay, TX
Chet Edwards, TX
James P. Moran, VA
Frank R. Wolf, VA
Norm Dicks, WA
George Nethercutt, WA
Mark W. Neumann, WI
David R. Obey, WI
Alan B. Mollohan, WV
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More News ....

A new prize has just been announced by
ATA. This $1,000 prize will be for the best tinnitus paper or poster given by a young investigator at the annual meeting of the Association for
Research in Otolaryngology (ARO). The prize
has been funded by board member Dr. Jack
Vernon and will serve to promote interest in
tinnitus research among scientists just getting
started with their careers. For more information
about applying for this prize, call me (503/2489985). ATA traditionally distributes information
about its tinnitus research projects in-progress
along with grant applications to interested
researchers at the ARO meetings. This year,
ATA's Scientific Advisors gathered at ARO to
address the deadlines and requirements for tinnitus research grants. It was decided to have two
deadlines for proposal submission: June 30th
and December 30th. Proposals will continue to
be read by at least five scientific readers who
will make comments and evaluate the proposals
for the final decision by ATA. Present at the
meeting were Robert Dobie, Gary Jacobson,
Mary Meikle, Jim Henry, Tho Zhang, Robert
Levine, Robert Brummett, Pawel Jastreboff,
Michael Seidman, Rene Dauman, Richard Salvi,
Yvonne Sininger, and Douglas Mattox.
Thank you for the astounding response to
last year's patient survey. We received 3, 716
completed surveys. The answers have been
coded, counted, and are now being entered into
the data base. We hope to include the results in
the next issue of Tinnitus Tbday.
Little did we know when we paid tribute to
Trudy Drucker in our last issue that it would be
a final tribute. On Sunday, February 16, 1997,
Trudy died "with her boots on." She collapsed
just before the tinnitus self-help group was to
meet, where she and Joe Alam, her life-partner,
were going to turn over the reins to a new
leader. Trudy was a wonderful friend and an
inspiration to her students and colleagues. We'll
miss her.
Welcome to the world, Julia Randall, daughter of ATA's Honorary Board Member Tony
Randall and his wife, Heather Harlan. Julia was
born in New York on April 11th. Our best wishes
to them all.
Tinnitus Tbday/June 1997

From time to time, we include letters from our
members about their experiences with "nontraditional" treatments. We do so in the hope that
the information offered might be helpful. Please
read these anecdotal reports carefully, consult with
your physician or medical advisor; and decide for
yourself if a given treatment might be right for you.
As always, the opinions expressed are strictly those
of the letter writers and do not reflect an opinion or
endorsement by ATA.
han~
you immensely for the help I have

received from the ATA publication
Tinnitus Tbday. I have learned a great
deal about tinnitus, particularly how to cope
with it. For me, the greatest help has been:
1. eliminating all caffeine from my diet
(including decaf drinks)
2. taking ginkgo three times a day
3. wearing earplugs on the plane, bus, metro
rail, and while walking on the streets of the city
4. finding a knowledgeable dentist who was
willing to help me with TMJ and has readjusted
my bite and reduced muscle spasms, which also
reduced my tinnitus.
I still have tinnitus but at least now I can
live with it. Thanks again.
Linda D. Peters, Coral Gables, FL
fter 18 months of suffering and visiting

numerous physicians, my tinnitus and
dizziness have decreased 60-70% thanks
to an article I read in Tinnitus Tbday abo~t the
possible link between tinnitus and TMJ. Within
two weeks after receiving a lower bite splint
from my TMJ dentist, I began to live a seminormal life again. The splint pulls my lower jaw
forward and away from my ear canal to take the
pressure off the TMJ joint when I eat, sleep,
and clench my teeth at night. I have cheated a
few times and eaten a meal without wearing my
splint. Sure enough, the ringing and dizziness
intensified.
Jeff Bassett, Wadsworth, OH
6 Tinnitus 'Ibday/ June 1997
n the December 1996 issue of Tinnitus

Tbday, I read the letter to the editor from
Armando D. Soler, Miami, FL, and tears
came to my eyes. I developed hyperacusis and
tinnitus after I went in for an MRI scan in
August of 1994, the same month and year as
Armando. Like him, I was tested in aGE brand
MRI machine with a Thsla 1.5 magnet! I was not
made aware of any dangers to my hearing or
given earplugs. I was given a pair of headphones
with music playing to wear for the scan. The
MRI machine was so loud that I could not hear
the music.
Upon exiting the machine, I could feel a
vibration in my head, extreme headache, dizziness, nausea, and I could not drive home.
Within one hour, both of my ears had a feeling
of fullness, pain, pressure, and a loss of hearing
acuity. I experienced an extreme sensitivity to
everyday loud noises and by November 1994, it
was accompanied by a high-pitched ringing in
both ears.
In December 1995, at the Oregon Hearing
Research Center, Dr. Robert Johnson matched
my tinnitus to a 5000 Hz pure tone and my
uncomfortable loudness levels (UCL) were
approximately 10 to 20dB lower than for most
listeners. I thank Dr. Johnson and Dr. Jack
Vernon for giving me support and hope for the
future after this life-altering experience.
Kerry K Surman, Rodeo, CA
am a person who suffers severely from reactions to MSG, sulfite, and aspartame. One of
my many symptoms was tinnitus. It was a
maddening sound. Now that I am careful to
avoid all the foods that contain these food additives, the tinnitus has gone away. It took over a
year for it to completely disappear. I use the
sound now to determine if I should continue to
eat a food that is new to me. The sound is very
slight now, a buzzing perhaps. Others who suffer
with tinnitus and who have food additive allergies might get relief if they know the foods to
avoid. (Contact Aspartame Consumer Safety
Network, PO Box 78634, Dallas, TX 75378,
214/ 352-4268, or NOMSG Society, PO Box 367,
Sante Fe, NM, 87504, 800/ BEAT-MSG.)
Diane E. Dalton, Albuquerque, NM
~e_veloped _tinnit~s i~mediately after being
mJected with an wdme-based dye while having a CAT scan. I assumed it was an allergic
reaction to the dye because I had hives after the
injection as well. They told me the tinnitus
would only last 24 to 48 hours. That was two
years ago. The tinnitus is still with me.
In the beginning, it was absolutely intolerable. It made me physically ill. I thought I
would lose my mind if I could not escape the
noise. I saw 12 specialists (ENT's, neurologists,
psychiatrists, etc.), none of whom could pinpoint the reason for my tinnitus or tell me it
could be relieved. Most of them told me to learn
to live with it.
Being a very determined person, I decided
to take this on as a challenge. I sought out information and joined the local ATA tinnitus selfhelp group and immediately realized I was not
alone. I met Frank Agosta, the group facilitator,
who has lived with tinnitus for 33 years. He
informed me that I must eliminate fear from my
mind. Fear is a "false experience that appears
real." And I was paralyzed by it! Since I'd had
the battery of tests that ruled out any serious
disease, I came to realize that I was left with a
"symptom," and that the key to helping reduce
the intensity of that symptom (tinnitus) was
total relaxation.
At that time, I was taking five Xanax tranquilizers a day just to function but I knew I had
to try to achieve total relaxation on my own. I
began hypnotherapy and to practice total relaxation every day. With all sincerity, it was the
first time I felt like my old self since the onset
of tinnitus.
My tinnitus has significantly improved. I no
longer take tranquilizers to survive. When I get
stressed, I can immediately take action to
relieve my anxiety. Proper nutrition is also an
important factor. (Caffeine must not be a part of
my diet.) It has been such a growth experience.
I realize that a positive approach to anything in
life will improve it.
Franca Jarosz, Dearborn, MI
(continued)
you are using "in the canal" hearing protection,

be sure to have an audiologist confirm that the
plugs are providing the level of protection you
think they are. I recently started a new job in a
factory where noise levels are at 80-85dBa. I felt
safe using $45 custom-fit earplugs, but after two
months I began to experience a substantial
increase in my tinnitus. An audiologist confirmed my suspicion that the plugs were providing far less protection than they were supposed
to. In fact, at certain frequencies, they were
providing only 2-SdB of attenuation.
I was fit with another set of custom molded
earplugs that provided effective 20-30dB of protection. Th achieve that level, the fit had to be
extremely tight and uncomfortable. The audiologist confirmed that the ear canal changes shape
with time, and the fit and effectiveness of
custom-fit plugs deteriorates with time. At work,
I have swallowed my pride and begun wearing
muff protectors, which are clearly more reliable
and effective. Again, don't assume your protection is working. Get it checked out with your
audiologist.
Gary McDaniel, Clyde 7bwnship, MI.
Our readers occasionally want to contact the

authors of the letters included in this column. Since
we protect the privacy of all who write to us, we do
not give out addresses or phone numbers unless we
have permission to do so.
When you write a letter to the editor; please state if
your address or phone number can be given to a
reader who might ask for it.
Tinnitus Today welcomes your letters to the editor.
All submisions
are subject to editorial
review and, if
chosen, might be
altered for brevity
and clarity.
have be~n experiencing noise-induced tinnitus for eight years. I am writing to extend a
cautionary note to those with tinnitus who
work or play in a high noise environment. If
Tinnitus Today/ June 1997
New Drug Research for Tinnitus

by Barbara Thbachnick, Client Services Manager
Pfizer Pharmaceutical, the drug company that
manufactures Xanax, has taken a giant step forward in research: It is sponsoring a study to find
a specific drug that will relieve tinnitus. This is
the first study of its kind in more than a decade.
Dr. Paul Gupta, a representative from the
neurodegeneration laboratory at Pfizer, took an
interest in the subject of tinnitus relief after he
met James Kaltenbach, Ph.D. at the Association
for Research in Otolaryngology convention last
year. Pfizer's goal with this new research is to test
certain drugs on the cochlear nucleus to measure
their effect (if any) on the abnormal spontaneous
activity in the cochlea already demonstrated in
Kaltenbach's animal model. Kaltenbach's hypothesis is that the abnormal activity in the cochlea is
the outward demonstration of subjective tinnitus.
Pfizer's research award to Kaltenbach for this
two-year project is $202,000.
This study does not overlap Kaltenbach's
recently NIDCD-funded project (see "NIDCD
American Tinnitus
FOUNDATION???
Many of you have found this "organization"
on the Internet. Despite the similarity in names,
there is no connection between them and the
American Tinnitus ASSOCIATION.
Here is what we know about them:
+ For $9.99, the foundation will send a piece of
paper that lists 50 Ways to Help your
Tinnitus. (Some of our members have sent
this to us.)
+ The foundation advises that for an additional
$50 contribution they will send a personalized outline of treatment.
+ They are not a registered 50l(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
+ We have not received a response to our
requests for information from them.
Our advice: Be careful.
8 Tinnitus 1bday/June 1997
Funds $870,383 in Tinnitus Research," Tinnitus

7bday, March 1997.) Says Kaltenbach, "It complements it. The Pfizer study is designed to target
two additional questions not addressed by the
NIDCD study. First, does the increased spontaneous activity result from modifications to a specific class of receptor in the cochlear nucleus?
And second, can the increased spontaneous
activity following sound exposure be reversed by
application of drugs to the surface of the
cochlear nucleus?" Kaltenbach will attempt to
measure the activity before and after the drug
applications to assess the drugs' effectiveness. If
a drug reverses the abnormal activity in the
cochlear nucleus, it is hoped that the same drug
would have the potential to reverse noiseinduced tinnitus. That would be the next level of
study, says Kaltenbach. He concludes (and we
concur), "This project with Pfizer will bring us
one very important step closer to the development of a pharmaceutical treatment for tinnitus."
AMERICAN SOCIETY ON AGING

The ASA Summer Series on Aging offers
half-day and full-day intensives designed
to provide cost-effective, practical and
high-quality training on the cutting-edge
issues of today and tomorrow.
In conjunction with the Summer Series, ASA is sponsoring,
together with The National Council on the Aging and the
National Asian Pacific Center on Aging, Public Forums on
Welfare Reform: The Aging Community Speaks Out!
SAVE THE DATES

SAN FRANCISCO, july r1o SEATTLE, July 14-17
CHICAGO, July 16-18 ClEVElAND, july 21-23
PITTSBURGH, july 23-25 NEW YORK CITY, july 28-31
PHILADELPHIA, August 4/
For additional information and to receive a catalogue call
(800) 537-9728, fax (415) 974-0300, email info@asa.asaging.org
or write to the American Society on Aging, 833 Market Street,
Suite 511, San Francisco, CA 94103-1824.

Article reprinted with permission from the Royal
National Institute for Deaf People, On-Line
Newsletter; London, July 13, 1996
input either by more appropriate hearing aid

fittings or the use of noise generators may help
reduce the hallucinatory experiences.
Tinnitus is frequently seen as an "old age

thing," occurring twice as often in those over 60
than in younger people. Next to hearing loss it is
the most commonly reported ear problem. 1
Research suggests a prevalence of tinnitus present always or often in 21% of people in the age
group 50-79; 2 16% in 61-70 year olds; 4% in the
18-30 age group; 3 and of continuous tinnitus in
20-42% of 70 year olds. 4
Health and mobility problems
Hearing Loss
Hearing loss is very common in elderly people and it increases with advancing age. Its effect
on auditory disability (problems with hearing
conversation and the television), and on life in
general, can be escalated by tinnitus. 5 The
increasing loss of hearing can accentuate the
internal sounds of tinnitus and make the intervention of low noise therapy or masking techniques more problematic and less effective.
There is a notorious under-usage of hearing aids
by all age groups - only about 20% of those who
could benefit actually have them. This includes
elderly people, many of whom have had a significant hearing disability for many years by the
time they get to the hearing aid clinic. The social
and communication frustrations and strains of
such increasing, untreated deafness could easily
make existing tinnitus worse. The controls on
hearing aids and noise generators (maskers) are
often small, which might make them difficult to
operate (let alone put in and take out) for anybody with arthritic or other manual dexterity or
upper limb function problems.
Elderly people seem more prone to experiencing auditory imagery, which takes the form
of songs or music. It has been described as the
mental conversion of conventional tinnitus into
music or song, found most commonly in old age
when it may be an early sign of a confusional
state, but not of a serious psychosis. 6 It is associated with hearing difficulties, and often occurs in
people who have been musicians, singers, or
music lovers in the past. Improving sensory
Many elderly people have multiple pathologies which may compound the problems of
tinnitus and decrease tolerance to it. Mobility
difficulties that can interfere with a range of
everyday activities can also make it hard to get
to a doctor, hospital, or local tinnitus group and to simply get out and away from tinnitus.
Debilitating conditions can lower confidence
and self-esteem, and the motivation to seek
help. Insomnia and poor or fragile sleep may
prolong distressing tinnitus, or be caused by it.
It is not unknown for confusion, dementia, or
aggression to lead to a refusal to accept tinnitus
as a personal, internal sound, and to blame
neighbors or others for the unwanted, disturbing
noises. Stresses created by the demands of
caring and being cared for can easily aggravate
tinnitus. Experiences of treatments and care for
other ailments can naturally raise the expectations of similar levels of care and treatment for
tinnitus, which is not always forthcoming.
Depression
Many of the factors associated with depression are to some extent also associated with old
age - e.g., loss and bereavement, low selfesteem, and helplessness. Although depression
doesn't appear to be significantly more prevalent in older people, it is quite closely associated
with residential care.
Tinnitus Thday/June 1997

Polypharmacy
Elderly people quite often take a number of
different drugs for their multiple conditions and
diseases, increasing the risk of drug interactions
and other adverse reactions, which may also
include tinnitus. Tinnitus may also be related to
the continuous use of drugs such as quinine sulphate for night cramps, aspirin for thinning of
the blood, hypnotics, and diuretics. The aging
nervous system seems to be increasingly susceptible to many commonly used drugs - so if a
medication is to "trigger" tinnitus it may do so
more readily in an older person.
Isolation and loneliness

Social isolation often follows retirement
or bereavement, and the loss of networks of
family, friends, and neighbors. A lonely routine
with few diversions to minimize tinnitus will
inevitably place it in the foreground of daily life
- described in an American study as "boredom
with excess time with little to do but listen to
one's tinnitus."
Attitudes
Ageist attitudes from doctors can result in
elderly patients being turned away as too expensive or unrealistic to treat. With tinnitus it's all
too easy to dismiss old people who have it with
"What do you expect at your age?" and "You'll
have to learn to live with it."
Elderly patients themselves may have
different treatment expectations, some based on
previous ENT experiences, which focus on operations, pills, and cures, rather than on an open-
10
(continued)
ness to therapies such as counseling or cognitive

therapy. A basic premise of counseling is that
people can change if they wish.
Vernon & Press (1996Y highlight the important role of the clinician in providing reassurance and counseling for tinnitus patients who
are often anxious about the future. Patients need
to know that there is no reason to expect that
tinnitus will become more severe with age.
Thompson (1995) 8 argues that to treat older
people as if they are in need of care and attention, simply because they are old, is not only
viewing old age in predominantly medical
terms, but can be a considerable source of
oppression and distress. He also says that the
fact that an older person may need care and
attention should not be equated with illness. For
example, the sick role may appeal to the person
concerned and may be taken on board, thereby
creating dependency and acting as a barrier to
empowerment.
It's important not to be all doom and gloom
about older people and tinnitus, to think only in
terms of what can't be done and of the extra
problems old age presents in dealing with tinnitus. Most elderly people are healthy in both
body and mind and lead independent and
unsupported lives. The retirement years can
bring great opportunities for involvement and
personal development.
1. Geriatric tinnitus: causes, clinical treatment and
prevention, V. Ross, K. Echevarria, B. Robinson. J.
Gerontal Nur.s, Oct 1991, 17 (10), pp. 6-ll.
2. Tinnitus - a study of its prevalence and characteristics,
A. Axelsson & A. Ringdahl. Br. Jnl. of Audiology 23,
pp. 53-62.
3. Epidemiology of Tinnitus and its Clinical Relevance,
Adrian Davis. Course Notes from the 16th Tinnitus and
its Management Course, Nottingham School of
Audiology/ MRC Institute of Hearing Research/
RNID 1996.
4. Tinnitus in Old Age, U. Rosenhall, A. Karlsson. Scand
Audiol1991, 20 (3), pp.165-17l.
5. Hearing Loss in the Elderly, SDG Stephens in A Guide to
the Care of the Elderly, HMSO 1996.
6. Definition and Clarification of Tinnitus, Dafydd Stephens
in Course Notes from the 16th Tinnitus and its
Management Course, Nottingham School of
Audiology/ MRC Institute of Hearing Research/
RNID 1996.
7. Tinnitus in the Elderly, Jack Vernon, Linda Press, in
Proceedings of the 5th International Tinnitus Seminar.,
American Tinnitus Association, Gloria Reich, Ph.D., and
Jack Vernon, Ph.D., (eds .) 1996.
8. Age and Dignity - Working with Older People, Neil
Thompson, Arena 1995. ISBN 185742 2511.
Air Bag Ruling?
Still Up in the Air
by Barbara Tabachnick, Client Services Manager

The National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA) advises us that the
issues surrounding air bag disconnections, on-off
switches, and the redesign of this safety device
are still "under consideration." According to
Dorothy Nakama from NHTSA's legal department, the agency received a wide range of comments about these devices and is therefore
taking its time to examine the opinions and
(hopefully) decide well. Nakama did not know
when NHTSA would announce its decision.
Over the last few months, we have heard
from several ATA members who had written to
NHTSA for "deactivation authorizations" and
were granted them. That was the good news.
The not-so-good news was that most of these
people are still unable to find mechanics who
will deactivate the bags.
A representative from American Honda's
Consumer Affairs Department reports that
they've received many calls from frantic car
owners who want their air bags disconnected or
on-off switches installed. But legally, Honda
says, their hands are tied. American car manufacturers must equip cars with safety features as
prescribed by NHTSA. Until NHTSA makes its
ruling known, Honda customers are being
referred to the National Mobility Equipment
Dealers Association (NMEDA) at 800/ 833-0427
for information about equipment - like pedal
extenders - that can be used to make air bagequipped vehicles less dangerous. (NMEDA
members specialize in vehicle conversions for
the handicapped.) Honda also suggests that their
customers contact NHTSA directly (202/3661836) to register concerns.
NMEDA's Executive Director Becky Plank
says that the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration is sending out mixed messages
daily on the issue of air bags. "On the one
hand," she says, "they've told us, 'If a person has
an exemption from us then you can disable
their air bags.' Then three minutes later they
say, 'If we were in your shoes, we would never
disable an air bag.' Our members don't know
what to do, and so they're probably not doing
I
the disconnects. We're trying to follow NHTSA's

guidelines but we never know if it's a 'yes' day
or a 'no' day."
Members of NMEDA are facing their greatest
confusion to date: air bag manufacturers will not
revealed the secret of air bag disconnection even to them. (Air bags must be turned off for
some vehicle conversions, like the installation of
horizontal steering.) According to Plank, technicians who disable air bags have essentially
taught themselves how.
Important to note: Not everyone who is
exposed to a deploying air bag will have his or
her ears injured by it. But who is susceptible?
Richard Price, Senior Research Scientist for the
U.S. Army Research Laboratory, recently conducted a study which determined that 10-15%
of the population is "susceptible" to hearing
damage from loud impulse noise, like that of an
exploding air bag. (The air bags in this study
produced 166-170dBs when they deployed.) This
susceptible population includes children, people
who already have some hearing loss or other
hearing disorder like hyperacusis or tinnitus,
and "people who don't see it coming." (In the
face of oncoming danger, a person's ear muscles
can contract and offer some protection.) And
there are those, said Price, who have healthy
ears but who are just plain susceptible. The
percentage of tinnitus cases that would be worsened by deploying air bags is not yet known.
If you choose to wear ear plugs or muffs
while you drive to hedge against the potential
noise, be aware that some states have motor
vehicle laws against it. Contact your DMV A letter of explanation from your doctor might be all
that you need to override the restriction.
More as we hear...
CORRECTION
... to the "NIDCD Funds $870,383 in Tinnitus
Research" article in Tinnitus Tbday, March
1997.
Principal investigator should read:
Robert A. Levine, M.D.
Tinnitus Thday/ June 1997
11
Back issues of Tinnitus Today now available!

The following is a list of the featured topics
in each issue. Almost every issue contains Dr.
Jack Vernon's Q & A column, information about
self-helping, and (from September 1994 to the
present) Letters to the Editor.
The cost per issue:
$2.50 (member price); $5.00 (non-member
price) Current issue - Dec. 1988
$1.00 (member price); $2.00 (non-member
price) Sept 1988 - April1975
See the table below for shipping cost. For orders
outside the U .S., add $5 to the total shipping
cost.
Most issues of Tinnitus Tbday produced in the

last three years are in good supply. A few, however, are available only as photocopies. Every
effort will be made to send the originals.
March 1997- NIDCD-funded Tinnitus
Research, Treatments for Subjective Tinnitus;
Similarities between Tinnitus and Chronic Pain
Air Bag update
Dec. 1996 - Air Bag Safety - Air Bag Risk;
Interview with researcher Jos Eggermont, Ph.D.
Sept. 1996 - Ototoxic medications; Silent
Dental work; Interview with researcher James
A. Kaltenbach, Ph.D.
June 1996 - Multi-Therapies Treatment;
Celebrities with Tinnitus
March 1996 - Tinnitus and the Law
Otosclerosis; Interview with researcher Pawel J
Jastreboff, Ph.D.
Dec. 1995 - Masking; William Shatner and
ATA; De-stressing Techniques
Sept. 1995 - Fifth International Tinnitus
Seminar; Doctor to Doctor - Tinnitus Patient
Evaluation; Elementary School Hearing
Conservation program
June 1995 - Electrical Stimulation; Cochlear
Implants; Temporal Bone donations; Ginkgo
biloba and animal research (PHOTOCOPIES
ONLY)
I
12
March 1995 - Drugs and Tinnitus Relief

December 1994 -Alternative Therapies; Sleep
Management
September 1994 - TMJ; Ototoxicity
June 1994 - Hearing Protection Devices
March 1994 - Auditory Habituation; Thles of
Tinnitus Recovery (PHOTOCOPIES ONLY)
December 1993 -Alternative Treatments
Ginkgo; Research Plan (PHOTOCOPIES ONLY)
September 1993 - How Tinnitus is Generated
Hypnosis
June 1993 - 1}rpes of Hearing Loss
March 1993 - Anatomy of the Ear; Research
report (PHOTOCOPIES ONLY)
December 1992 - TMJ
September 1992 - Industrial Liability Case
June 1992 - ATA history; Monitoring Your
Tinnitus
March 1992 - Interaction of Earmold
Acoustics, Real Ear Resonances, and Tinnitus
Masker Responses
December 1991 - Fourth International
Tinnitus Seminar; Personal Injury lawsuits
September 1991 -Tinnitus in the Nursing
Home; Research report; Cochlear implants
June 1991 -VA Info; Hyperacusis; Research
highlights (PHOTOCOPIES ONLY)
March 1991 - Noise and Tinnitus; There is
Hope; Tony Randall
December 1990- Tinnitus Measurement;
Drug Therapies
September 1990- Older Americans and
Tinnitus; Research Report; ADA
June 1990 - Cognitive Therapy; Amplification
March 1990 -Noise-induced Hearing Loss in
Musicians; Vestibular Disorders; Tinnitus in the
14th Century
December 1989- Tinnitus Patient
Management; Allergy potential (ALL PREVIOUSLY MAILED AND RETURNED COPIES)
I
The following issues are available as photocopies only:

September 1989 - Tinnitus Severity Scaling;
Consumer Tips; Tinnitus in the 16th Century
June 1989 - Tinnitus in Burnt-out Meneire's
March 1989 - Combined Treatment for
Intolerable Tinnitus; Care for Hearing Aids and
Maskers
December 1988- Hyperacusis;
Pathophysiology of Tinnitus; Al Unser and Jeff
Float (FIRST ISSUE AS Tinnitus Tbday)
You Can Overcome Your Tinnitus

by Stephen M. Nagler; M.D., FA.C.S.
The following is an excerpt from
the inspiring presentation made by
Dr Nagler at ATA's recent California
regional meetings. Dr Nagler is the
Medical Director of the Southeastern
Comprehensive Tinnitus Clinic in
Atlanta, which will be opening its
doors this summer
I am sure that all of you

who suffer with tinnitus
have known individuals
Stephen M. Nagler, M.D.
who've said, "Oh yeah, I've
noticed crickets in my ears sometimes, but it
never bothers me - why don't you just ignore
it?" Your mental response is, "This guy doesn't
have a clue."
I am sure that all of you have known wellmeaning individuals who've said in a reassuring
tone, "Oh yes, I had tinnitus. It bothered me for
a while, but I learned to live with it, and so will
you." Your response is, "That guy may have had
tinnitus, but he didn't have MY tinnitus. There's
tinnitus .... and there's damn tinnitus. And I've
got damn tinnitus." Have you all been there?
Let me tell you something. I know what it's
like not to be able to fall asleep at night because
of the noise of a jet turbine in my head. I've
been there.
I know what it's like to be incredibly
exhausted in the afternoon following a restless
night, but to not want to take a two-hour nap
because I knew I'd wake up with twice the roar
I started with. I've been there.
I know what it's like to see the audiologist's

eyes practically fall out of his head during tinnitus matching, because he was thinking, "Now
this is impressive." I know what it's like to want
to beat my head against the wall because of the
noise. I know what it's like for my stomach to
knot up with nausea at the thought of putting
food in my mouth because of the trains going by
in my head.
I know what it's like as an adult to want to
put my head on my 80-year-old mother's lap so
she can rub it and make things quiet ... and I
know what it's like to see tears in her eyes
because she can't help. I've been there.
I know what it's like to want to die.
I know what it's like to see a loving wife sick
with worry and fear. And I know what it's like to
just about fall apart when a five-year-old son
looks at his father's ears and says, "Daddy, I
wish I could just reach in there with my fingers
and pull that bad noise out so you could be
happy again." I've been there.
So I think I know damn tinnitus. And I'm
here to tell you that you can overcome it. The
ladies and gentlemen who are addressing you
today have dedicated a considerable amount of
their professional lives to assisting tinnitus sufferers in overcoming tinnitus and in taking
charge of their lives again. The health care professionals next to you in the audience are doing
the same. And the ATA is helping numerous
investigators to obtain funds to press on with
high quality research. You can overcome your
tinnitus. I know. I've been there.
Back Issues (continued)

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13
ATA's New Scientific Advisory

Committee Members
.............,..,........~.._.T""""'--, Gary P. Jacobson, Ph.D.,
is the Director of the

Division of Audiology for
the Henry Ford Health
System, and has served in
that capacity for almost 10
years. Prior to that, Dr.
Jacobson was the Section
Chief of the Audiology
Division at the VA Medical
Center in Cincinnati, Ohio,
Gary P Jacobson, Ph.D. and Director of the Clinical
and Intraoperative Evoked Potentials programs
for the Departments of Neurology and
Neurosurgery at the University of Cincinnati
Medical Center. He is on the editorial board of
the journals Brain Tbpography, American Journal
of Audiology, and the International Tinnitus
Journal.
Dr. Jacobson is past president of the
American Society of Neurophysiological
Monitoring (ASNM) and is the current Audiology
Subcommittee Chairman of ASHA's Council of
Professional Standards. He has published widely
in the areas of clinical and intraoperative neurophysiology, tinnitus, and outcomes research in
audiology, neurology, and speech-language
pathology.
Pawel Jastreboff,
Ph.D.,Sc.D., moved from
Yale University to the
University of Maryland at
Baltimore in July 1990 to
continue his research on
tinnitus and establish the
Tinnitus & Hyperacusis
Center. Dr. Jastreboff had
proposed a neurophysiological model of tinnitus and
PawelJastreboff,
Tinnitus Retraining
Ph .D ,Sc. D
Therapy in 1988, based on
his research on the phyiological mechanisms of
tinnitus. The objective of his present research is
14
to determine the mechanisms of tinnitus and

design new methods of tinnitus and hyperacusis
alleviation.
Dr. Jastreboff received a Ph.D. in
Neuroscience and Doctor of Sciences Degree
(Neuroscience) from the Polish Academy of
Science. He did his postdoctoral training at the
University of Thkyo, Japan. He holds Visiting
Professor appointments at Yale University School
of Medicine and at University College London
and Middlesex Hospital, London, England.
Robert Sweetow, Ph.D., is
the Director of Audiology
and Associate Clinical
Professor in the Dept. of
Otolaryngology at the
Medical Center of the
University of California, San
Francisco. He received his
Ph.D. from Northwestern
University in 1977, his
Master of Arts degree from
Robert Sweetow, Ph.D.
the University of Southern
California, and his Bachelor of Science degree
from the University of Iowa. Dr. Sweetow has
lectured worldwide, and is the author of numerous textbook chapters and over 60 scientific
articles on tinnitus and amplification for the
hearing-impaired.
Book Review
by Harvey Pines, Ph.D.
Gloria E. Reich, Ph.D., and Jack A. Vernon,

Ph.D. (eds.), Proceedings of the Fifth International
Tinnitus Seminar. American Tinnitus
Association, Portland, Or., 1995. $25.
Perusing these Proceedings is like touring a
very large museum: each of the 13 sections
resembles a hall with many exhibits. Visitors of
different backgrounds will find some exhibits
more interesting and comprehensible than
others. When taken together, however, these
Proceedings convey an extraordinary range of
activity presented in over 125 papers by "scientific investigators, medical practitioners, and
individuals concerned with the manifest and
diverse causes, treatments, and ramifications of
tinnitus," circa 1995.
At the outset of the tour, note the welcoming
address by the Director of the National Institute
of Deafness and Other Communication
Disorders (NIDCD). In it he describes "crucial
areas" for future tinnitus research identified at a
recent NIDCD workshop. One of these areas is
"etiology and pathogenesis" - what makes tinnitus happen, why is it so different from one individual to the next, what is the role of genetic
factors, etc. Other crucial research areas identified by the NIDCD group are the development of
tools for detection and assessment of tinnitus,
the need for animal models of this disorder,
investigation of the function and dysfunction of
the cochlea - the organ critical for transforming
physical sound energy into the nerve impulses
that ultimately become our experience of sound,
and the role of "central mechanisms," i.e., what
occurs in the brain when we experience tinnitus.
If you are interested in any of these topics
have a look at the following sections of the
Proceedings: Aetiology; Mechanisms; Animal
Model/Objective Measures; Assessment
Measures; Epidemiology and Demographics; and
some of the papers in Instrumentation and
Medical/Clinical. Thke special notice of papers
by Hazell, Jastreboff, and their associates, presenting different aspects of a neurophysiological
model of tinnitus with broad implications for
several of the crucial areas of research noted
above. Examine the research designs and literature reviews offered by Newman, Salvi,
Shulman, 'JYler, and Vernon, as examples of how
to ask and answer questions about tinnitus in a

manner that commands the respect of government funding agencies and the scientific
community as a whole. These papers also give
the rest of us an appreciation of just how difficult it is to conduct tinnitus research that has
real scientific value. And don't neglect the fine
papers by Coles of the U.K., Lenarz of Germany,
Hallberg of Sweden, and Matsuhira of Japan,
among others. The need for regularly scheduled
international conferences on tinnitus is clearly
brought home by the geographical diversity of
high quality research in these Proceedings.
One high priority area identified by the
NIDCD is that of "intervention" - how can we
intervene to alleviate the distress of those who
have tinnitus? This concern is well represented
in the Proceedings by sections on Alternative
Treatments, Drugs, Psychological/Rehabilitation,
and Self-Help Workshop. As a tinnitus support
group leader, I was especially intrigued by Jo
Hazelby's title of "Certified Tinnitus Counselor"
in the U.K. and the excellent course curriculum
she completed to qualify for this position. The
ATA might well consider sponsoring such a
course so that self-help volunteers and others
could learn to make use of Thbachnick's welldescribed listening skills and strategies for running a support group, as well as the insights and
experience available in Drucker's, Eayrs' and the
Saunders' papers. I was particularly intrigued by
Dees' presentation suggesting that four clear
stages of tinnitus tolerance can be delineated, a
concept derived from the work of R.S. Hallam,
one of the great pioneers of contemporary tinnitus research. An interesting Ph.D. thesis awaits
a young investigator willing to undertake a rigorous empirical validation of this stage model.
Visitors to the Proceedings will also note
relatively new concerns with special populations, e.g., children and the elderly, legal issues,
and the use of computer technology to facilitate
research and clinical efforts.
In summary, whatever your specific interest
or level of sophistication it will be difficult not
to find an attention-getting exhibit in the
Proceedings of the Fifth International Tinnitus
Seminar. This is a "must have" volume for professionals and lay persons alike.
15
Sizing Things Up
by Barbara Tabachnick,
Client Services Manager
A woman asked me recently to
describe the most successful
tinnitus support group I knew
of - how it was run, when and
where it met, how many people attended it. She was interested in starting a group
herself and wanted to fashion
it after a proven model of success.
Two ATA support groups came instantly to
mind. The first one was one that ran for 15
years, conducted in classroom style (chairs in
rows facing front), and was led by a former college professor who had tinnitus. Medical professionals spoke frequently at these every-othermonth afternoon meetings. This popular group
had an academic flavor to it and a typical
turnout of 40 attendees. The other group that
came to mind has been meeting monthly for 13
years. The facilitator is an audiologist who herself has tinnitus. She occasionally brings in
guest speakers, often does positive visualization
exercises with the group members, and always
reserves time for 'round-the-room discussions
(they sit in a circle). A turnout of 25 attendees is
typical for this "warm and fuzzy" group.
I stepped back and looked at the rest of our
support groups, and it was striking - the variety
of shapes, sizes, patterns, textures. Some of our
groups are very casual and meet twice a year;
others are comparatively formal with dues, minutes, lending libraries, and meetings every
month. Some groups have had extensive local
media exposure (TV appearances, feature stories
16
in newspapers); others struggle with stubborn

newspaper staffs to get meeting announcements
in the calendar section. Some meet at hospitals;
others at libraries. Some groups have "a group
within the group"- a committee of helpers who
assist the leader with mailing newsletters, contacting guest speakers, arranging for refreshments, and doing whatever else needs to be
done. Other groups are run top-to-bottom by
lone leaders - some who can't find the helpers,
and others who really like doing it all themselves. Most groups are not facilitated by "professionals" of any kind. (A credentialed
facilitator is gratefully welcomed but not an
indicator of a group's greater worth. Experience
with tinnitus and readiness to help are the most
esteemed credentials.) By and large, a group's
style is a reflection of the personality of the
individual who leads it.
Still, success is hard to gauge. Some groups
last for more than a decade; others disband after
a year. Since they all do the work they are
intended to do for however long they do it, a
group's duration isn't an accurate yardstick of
success. And most of ATA's groups do not generate the audience size of those two groups and
would therefore not measure up if numbers
alone told the tale. (The average number of
attendees is 11.) One of our facilitators phoned
me some time back, feeling discouraged by a
small turnout at her meeting. She felt that the
only tangible measure of her effort was the
count of heads that walked through the door. I
asked her to tell me how the meeting went. "It
was actually good," she said. "The four of us all
had plenty of time to talk. I think everyone left
feeling better." "And if only one person had
shown up ... ?" I asked. She said, "I think that
would have been okay too." Lucky for us, the
definition of success is for the choosing.
If your interest is piqued at the thought of
helping others, and you have the time to do it
please write to us for details. If you want to fi~d
a support contact near you, write for your local
list. Our support network covers the country a warm and ample garment, woven on the loom
of experience. Tty it on for size. See if it fits.
Jack Vernon's Lecture on

Video Tape- Available Now
In January, 1997, Oregon Health Sciences
University's (OHSU) Marquam Hill Lecture
Series featured a lecture on tinnitus by Jack A.
Vernon, Ph.D. Dr. Vernon is the former Director
of OHSU's Oregon Hearing Research Center and
a recognized pioneer in tinnitus research. In this
VHS video of that lecture, Dr. Vernon discusses
the origins of tinnitus treatment and the contemporary applications of masking, hearing aid
use, and other treatments for tinnitus relief. His
formidable knowledge, practical experience, and
gracious manner highlight the hour.
Cost: $20 (shipping included)
Running time: 59 minutes, 20 seconds
Send check to:
OHSU - Office of Community Relations
Attn: Terry Erb
3181 Sam Jackson Park Rd., L101
Portland, OR 97201-3098
Thank You and Welcome

to our New Support
Network Volunteers
Our New Support Group Facilitators:
Christina Hewitt
(former telephone-only contact)
27 Trail Edge Circle
Powell, OH 43065
614/ 885-4140
Donna Brown
458 Hickory Pl.
Bloomfield, CO 80020
303/ 469-1683
John J. Nichols
10450 E. Desert Cove Ave.
Scottsdale, AZ 85259
602/860-5758
Jenny and Hugo Blad
6813 Sunsey Blvd.
Greely, Ontario K4P1M6
CANADA
613/ 821-0083
Talking to Myself
by Theris Aldrich
Be convinced that you have untapped
sources of strength:
courage to face the unknown,
determination to cope with the
unexplainable,
and will to endure that from which
there seems no escape.
Decide that you determine your quality
of life:
choose to be a part of life's mainstream,
focus on building reciprocal
friendships,
dismiss all depressing thoughts.
Know that you can accomplish a sort of
miracle:
regenerate your power of selfenhancement,
teach your consciousness to soar above
anxiety and stress,
allow peace and serenity to muffle
the clamor of tinnitus.
From Never Again 7b Know A Noiseless Shooting
Star, a tinnitus poetry book edited by Daphne
Crocker-White, Ph.D .
To order, send $10 plus $1.50 shipping

and handling to:
Daphne Crocker-White, Ph.D.
1290 Howard Ave. #323
Burlingame, CA 94010
Make checks payable to:
Tioga Trading Company
(California residents, add 85 tax per
book.)
Dr. Crocker-White is generously donating all

profits from this book to ATA.
... and Our New Telephone Contact:

Gloria Ann Stanetti
4705 Avenida La Mirada
Joshua Tree, CA 92252-1622
619/ 365-3522
Tinnitus Tbday/ June 1997
17
Barometric Changes and the Ear

by Barbara Tabachnick, Client Services Manager
People often express concerns - to their
doctors and to us - about the effect that flying
might have on their tinnitus. It is an understandable concern. Ears often "pop," feel plugged, or
ache during or after flight. Technology has
attempted to alleviate these problems.
Commercial aircraft cabins are pressurized to
duplicate a stable air pressure equal to an 8,000foot elevation. But with constant altitude
changes during take off and landing and an
average cruising altitude of 35,000 feet, the onboard pressurization systems toil to keep pace
with the fluctuations. The slight imperfections
still inherent in these systems cause our ears to
occasionally feel a discomfort known as "barotitis" or "aerotitis."
match that of its environment. Although the

tympanic membrane (or eardrum) can bulge
outward as a response to the lesser outside pressure, this passive venting of air out through the
eustachian tube during take off rarely causes a
problem for people and their ears.
The reverse process causes slightly more
concern. The eustachian tube resists the inward
flow of air pressure during descent. And as the
outside pressure increases, the tympanic membrane is pushed inward and can cause pain.
Robert Sweetow, Ph.D., Director of Audiology at
the University of California, San Francisco
Medical Center, explains, "When there is equal
pressure on both sides of the eardrum, there is
comfort. When there is unequal pressure, there
is discomfort."
On the Ground
Tinnitus and Flying
Sudden weather changes are always accompanied by sudden barometric pressure changes.
When these occur, we sometimes hear about it
from our members. Air pressure changes can
temporarily alter the tinnitus of individuals who
are sensitive to that influence. In a study at the
Oregon Hearing Research Center's Tinnitus
Clinic, 128 (or 20%) of 639 patients experienced
a temporary change in their tinnitus when the
pressure inside their ear canals was deliberately
increased. Three percent noticed a worsening of
their tinnitus; 17% experienced a reduction in it.
Where's the Air?

The middle ear is a cavity filled with air.
The air (or barometric) pressure inside the middle ear is always equal to - or trying to be equal
to - the air pressure of its
~::=::="""'f'lfllilllllllliilo outside environment. Th
facilitate this pressure
equalization, the eustachian tube
(which connects the back of the
throat with the middle ear) acts as a
two-way vent. During take off in an
airplane, the ear moves from higher
pressure on the ground to lower pressure in the air. The higher pressure in
the middle ear easily escapes through
the eustachian tube on its way to
18
While tinnitus has occurred as a result of flying, it is a very rare occurrence. Statistics from
the Oregon Hearing Research Center's Tinnitus
Data Registry corroborate this. Out of a recent
Registry sampling of 238 patients, two patients
associated the onset of their tinnitus with ''barotrauma"- a physical injury, specifically to the
eustachian tube or the eardrum, caused by
changes in atmospheric pressure. One of the
two patients indicated that the barotrauma
occurred while scuba diving; the other, while
flying with an ear infection.
Murray Grossan, M.D., anENT in Los
Angeles, writes, "I have seen very few patients
whose tinnitus was actually caused by flying."
He has seen a fair amount of patients whose tinnitus resulted from scuba diving. Excessive and
sudden pressure changes from diving "slam the
cochlea" and do the damage. At 33 feet below,
the air pressure is twice the pressure on the surface. Grossan states that when diving, "it is necessary to clear the ear about every five feet of
descent or ascent."
Robert Sandlin, Ph.D., Director of the
California Tinnitus Assessment Center in San
Diego, says, "Flying does not normally cause the
onset of tinnitus." He states that people who
experience some exacerbation of their tinnitus
while flying are those who might experience tinnitus exacerbation when exposed to other similar noises.

Dr. Gary Jacobson, Director of Audiology at
the Henry Ford Hospital, writes, "I have had
patients tell me that their pre-existing tinnitus
was temporarily worsened following air travel.
Barotrauma, however, occurs infrequently as a
result of commercial air travel."
Sound Levels On-board

To further his understanding about tinnitus
and flying, Dr. Jacobson searched for information about sound levels in commercial aircraft
cabins. He states, "We found just one paper
addressing this issue (Viellefond et al., 1977).
The investigators reported only that noise levels
were high, and that the acoustical spectrum of
the noise was distributed over the low, less damaging (to the organ of Corti) frequencies."
Donald C. Gasaway, M.A., Hearing
Conservation Specialist for Aearo Company, has
been collecting noise data on North American
and European aircraft for 25 years. He shared
his findings: The noisiest interior parts of commercial aircraft with wing-mounted jets (like the
737) are at the wing and toward the rear.
Midwing seats are always more noisy, he said,
because the air conditioning and pressurization
systems are housed under the wings. Aircraft
with tail-mounted jets (727, DC-9, DC-10, and
the 800 series) usually have the highest interior
noise levels. During take off and landing, their
cabin levels have been measured to be as loud
as 116dB(A), although just for a few seconds.
Average cabin noise levels range from 78 to
86dB(A). The quietest seating space on widebody jets is at the front - not in the curved
nose of the plane (where it's noisy because of
air friction) but instead where the body of the
aircraft becomes cylindrical.
Frederic Silberman, a patient of Dr. Jack
Vernon's found additional information when
he conta~ted Boeing. Boeing engineers advised
him to not sit near doors, galleys, or lavatories
and that it was quieter "upwind" of the engines
(closer to the front of the plane). With a hand
held sound level meter, Silberman found that
aisle seats were somewhat quieter than window
seats.
Earplugs on the Plane

Earplugs undeniably block some noise. But
how do they affect the pressurization of the middle ear during flight? Elliott Berger, Senior
ccont;nued)
Scientist, Auditory Research for Aearo Company

(makers of E-A-R foam earplugs), states that
their Classic (PVC) foam plugs allow air to seep
into and out of the ear canal at a gradual rate.
Jeff Madigan, Industrial Audiologist for earplug
manufacturer Howard Leight Industries, confirms that the cell structure of foam earplugs
allows the plugs to "breathe." This gentle seepage
appears to help the ears adapt in flight. Jack
Vernon, Ph.D., former Director of the Oregon
Hearing Research Center, offers this ancillary
advice: Wear earplugs during take off until cruising altitude is reached, put plugs back in before
descent, and keep them in for half an hour after
landing.
The House Ear Institute developed special
earplugs, called Ear Planes, to help slow the
rate of pressure change while flying. These
molded plugs have small flanges and a thin filter
through the center that allow for gradual pressure changes. Ear Planes are available in adult
and pediatric sizes. (Take note: If your ear canals
are different sizes, these plugs might not fit.
Insert the plugs ahead of time to be sure.)
A 1977 study, conducted by the United States
Air Force (USAF) School of Aerospace Medicine,
measured the effects of E-A-R foam plugs during altitude changes in flight. In the study, 30
subjects wore the earplugs from take off till landing. All 30 reported pain-free flight in addition to
a reduction of on-board noise. E-A-R foam
earplugs have since become a standard item of
issue to USAF flight crews and passengers.
In a separate report, the USAF reveals that
over a 22-year period of time, there were six
cases ofbarotrauma associated with earplug use
during flight. In all six cases, the earplugs used
were premolded (not foam) and airtight.
If You Have a Cold

According to Dr. Jacobson, patients with
upper respiratory illnesses might experience
middle ear infections following air travel which
could result in transient tinnitus. Dr. Sweetow
suggests that the swelling of the eustachian tube
can be reduced with the use of a nasal spray
(like Afrin) or a decongestant (like Sudafed)
prior to flight. A spray decongestant can be used
an hour before landing too. Of course, clear all
19

medications with your doctor. If you have an
upper respiratory infection, it is always the safest
(though not always the most practical) choice to
postpone your flight.
How to Open the Eustachian Tube

Chew, swallow, sip on fluids, yawn, open the
mouth wide (though not over-wide if TMJ dysfunction is also a problem), or pinch the nostrils
while swallowing. All are strong activators of the
muscle that opens the eustachian tube. One can
also do the "Valsalva Maneuver" - gently blow air
out through the nostrils while pinching the nose
and closing the mouth - to ease discomfort during descent. When doing this maneuver, it is
important to use the cheek and throat muscles
only (never use force from the chest or
diaphragm) to push air out of the nose. The
maneuver forces air back into the middle ear.
Do this as soon as the plane begins its descent,
and continue doing it every few minutes until the
plane has landed. An additional tip: Ask a flight
attendant to make sure you are awake before the
(continued)
plane begins its descent. A sleeping person

might not be swallowing often enough to help
the pressurization process.
Millions of people - with and without tinnitus - fly without negative effect. Fortunately
for those who want to avoid flying, there are
other less controversial ways to go . But if flying
is desirable or unavoidable, clearing the
eustachian tube and wearing appropriate
earplugs can help the experience be what every
flight should be - uneventful.
RESOURCES
Aearo Company, 7911 Zionsville Rd., Indianapolis, IN
46268, 800/225-9038, for E-A-R foam earplugs
Cirrus Air Thchnologies, 800/327-6151, for Ear Planes
Howard Leight Industries, 7828 Waterville Rd., San Diego,
CA 92173, 619/671-1357, for Max foam earplugs
Oregon Hearing Research Center, Tinnitus Data Registry
c/o OHSU, 3181 S.W. Sam Jackson Park Rd., N-RC04,
Portland, OR 97201-3098
REFERENCES
American Academy of Otolaryngology, Ears, Altitude and
Airplane Travel, 1978.
Brown, T.P., Audecibel, Middle ear symptoms while flying:
Ways to prevent a severe outcome, March 1995.
Clarke, Maureen, Travel Holiday, Ear Care in the Air,
March 1996.
PSYCHOACOUSTIC EQUALIZER
HARMONIC FILTER
SEA-WAVE NOISE PROCESSOR
SINE-WAVE NOISE PROCESSOR
TINNITUS DIAGNOSTIC CIRCUIT
LATERAL CIRCUIT TO ADJUST FOR RIGHT OR LEFT EAR SENSITIVITY

CLASS A HEADPHONE AMP
CONNECTION FOR RECORDING CAPABILITY
SEPARATE IN/OUT SWITCH FOR EACH SECTION
~
~
~
3
~
~
~
Priced at $620. 30-day money

back guarantee and one year
warranty is included.
The Stereo Therapy Tinnitus Masker unit contains live different functionsections. Each section can be used separately, or all sections can be used at
the same time. The various functions are easily understood and controlled.
The five function-sections present many different sounds and noises critical
in masking and treating tinnitus. Some of its major functions are:
Apsychoocousnc equalizer allows complete flexibility in the progromming of music for therapy
and relaxation. Asea-wove noise processor creates o wide variety of surt sounds. from placid
rolling waves to stormy seas, stote-of-themt modulonon circuits make possible o wide voriety
of sounds. White noises or filtered noises ore mode possible through o vorioble bandpass filter.
All effects con be heord directly, or modified through the psychoacoustic equalizer, along with
individual volume settings. The sine-wove generotor con produce single tones from 85Hz up to
20 kHz with completely isolated frequency and volume control. Adiognosnc circuit makes it
possible to set the output volume of the created noise and tone in pertect hormony to the
music program masking the tinnitus. The dynamic headphone amp con be set in balance and
volume. Rear mounted switches used for various left/right listening levels. Also o switch for
CO/line sensiTivity (high/low level) to recording outs (Stereo) for toping individually tailored
masking progroms.
information or to place an order:
"""'""'"" g. campbell route #2 p.o.box 288 vinton, VA 24179

Petryshyn, W.A., ATA Newsletter, If you have a cold, don't

fly, December 1987.
c___ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ J
The-state-of-the-art design incorporated throughout the Synphonie Relax 2

makes it the most innovative and effective tinnitus masking and therapeutic
system available anywhere.
20
Hazell, J.W.P., British Tinnitus Association Newsletter, Flying

and the ear, voL19, 1983.
Schwade, Steve, Prevention, Read This Before You Fly,

June 1996.
Soli, S.D., Physiological principles of middle ear discomfort
due to changes in air pressure, and potential methods for
reducing discomfort with a pressure-regulating earplug,
House Ear Institute, 1996.
USAF School of Aerospace Medicine, Evaluation ofV-51R
and E-A-R Earplugs for use in flight, Report SAM-TR-77-1,
Feb. 1977
Vernon, Jack, Tinnitus Tbday, Questions & Answers, p.8,
September 1992
Questions and Answers

by Jack Vernon, Ph.D.
Ms. K. in Alabama asks, "I have seen
several designations of different kinds
of studies but I don't understand the
differences. The terms are: (1) double-blind,
placebo- controlled study, (2) open study, and
(3) double-blind, cross-over study. Can you
explain these to me?
[Q]
(1) A double-blind, placebo-controlled

study is one in which half the patients
(usually called subjects) in the study
are given the active drug and half are given a
placebo, that is a sugar pill. This procedure is
used to reduce the effect of suggestion. It is
double-blind when neither the patients nor the
experimenters know who is receiving the active
drug and who is receiving the placebo. All
patients are told they will receive the active
drug. When the study is completed, the code is
broken and the results recorded. If the active
drug does no better than the placebo, the drug
is considered of little or no value as a treatment.
It is also important, in my estimation, that the
effect of the drug be measured in tinnitus
studies. For example, in the Xanax study, the
patients' reports about their tinnitus were
recorded. In addition, the loudness of their
tinnitus was measured before and after the
treatment. For those who obtained tinnitus relief
from Xanax, the average measured tinnitus
loudness was 7.5dB SL (the level above hearing
threshold for that sound) before treatment and
averaged 2.3dB after treatment. Th my way of
thinking, the loudness measures were possibly
more objective than the reports from the
patients.
(2) A double-blind, cross-over study is one
in which half the patients are given the active
drug and half are given the placebo and neither
the experimenters nor the patients know who is
getting which. At the end of the drug treatment,
the two groups of patients are reversed - those
who received the placebo are given the active
drug, and those who received the active drug
are given the placebo. Unfortunately, it is often
the case that side effects reveal the presence of
the active drug thus defeating any meaningful
cross-over design.
(3) An open study is where everyone knows

that only the active drug is being used. 'TYpically
an open study is used to determine whether or
not the drug works. Open studies often precede
more detailed studies.
One final comment about the "placebo
effect." In most drug studies the placebo effect
can be as high as 35%, that is 35% of those on
the placebo obtained the same relief as did those
on the active drug. In tinnitus studies where a
placebo-control is used, the positive placebo
response is often not over 5% . That may indicate that tinnitus patients are not as susceptible
to suggestion as are patients with other health
problems.
Mr. T. from Amarillo, Thxas said that his
ear problems began six years ago with
an ear infection that did not clear up
with either the insertion of tubes in the ears or
by taking oral antibiotics. He recently changed
ear specialists and learned that he had a growth
closing up the ear canal. The physician did a
skin graft and cleaned out the ear canal. (The
first ear doctor thought that the growth in the
ear canal was the eardrum!) The substance is
once again growing in that ear, and the other
ear is closed off completely by the same sort of
growth. The tinnitus and his hearing are worse
in that ear.
[Q]
Mr. T., you have a real and correctable

physiological problem. If the canal is
filling in again, the growth can be
removed. Perhaps you could return to the physician who did the original canal plasty.
Remember, it's like a see saw. As hearing goes
down, tinnitus goes up.
Ms. B. of Colorado writes, "I recently
had a bad cold and the doctor put me on
E-Mycin. After the first day of taking the
drug, my tinnitus got louder. By the end of the
10-day therapy, my tinnitus was almost unbearable. I've been off the E-Mycin for seven days
now and the ringing is still just as loud. Will it
return to its usual level or will it stay at this
level?
[Q]
21

Ms. B., at the first sign of increased
tinnitus, you should have contacted your
physician. In fact, you should have told
your physician about your tinnitus prior to taking any medication. I am confident that your
tinnitus will return to its original level but it will
take time, a lot of time. Sometimes these things
take months to correct themselves. Don't get
discouraged by the slow progress. I hope that
future research will provide some way to get
unwanted effects out of the ear as fast as they
can get into the ear.
Ms. B. from Wisconsin writes that her
"roaring is terrible" and it is located all
over her head. She goes on to say that
taking 0.5 mg of Xanax three times a day was
beginning to provide tinnitus reliefbut that her
physician took her off the Xanax. She also indicates that she loves her Spectra 22 but that it
does nothing for her tinnitus.
[Q]
Ms. B., since Xanax was helping you and

since it also helped with sleeping, I
think you should discuss your problems
with your prescribing physician and try to
return to taking it. The Spectra 22 is a cochlear
implant. (Note: One has to be proven deaf to
qualify for the cochlear implant.) I think that
with special equipment it might be possible to
reduce your tinnitus via electrical stimulation
through your Spectra 22. One of the very first
\/
treatments for tinnitus
\~/
was the use of electrical
l'f"jj,..,...-:
stimulation of
the ears conducted by a
German physician in 1802,
just one year
after Volta had invented the
battery! The German physician
found that anodal (positive) current
delivered to the ears relieved tinnitus
for as long as the current was flowing.
22
(continued)
The problem is that anodal current is an unbalanced current and, as such, can cause tissue
damage. But a balanced current could be
arranged and induced through your electrodes to
see if relief for you is possible. You could contact
the Spectra company and suggest this idea to
them. I will gladly explain to them what I think
might be of help to you. Also, you can try masking with water sounds through your Spectra 22.
If that worked, it would be a fairly easy matter to
add a masking generator to your implant. If listening to water sounds through your implant has
no effect on your tinnitus, then we would know
one of two things : 1) masking is not possible, or
2) we have yet to determine the proper input to
effect masking. I hope we can get the cochlear
implant companies interested in pursuit of this
problem.
[Q]
Mr. M. from Ohio asks if any studies are

b_ein_g done with "noise cancellation" and
tmmtus.
In order for noise cancellation to work,

it is necessary to be able to detect the
noise that is to be canceled. Once that
noise is detected, it is then phase-reversed
(played back against itself) thus effecting the
cancellation. Present-day noise cancellation is
effective for noises up to 1500Hz. As you know,
tinnitus usually is at a pitch much above 1500
Hz. The average for tinnitus patients at our
Tinnitus Clinic is 7000 Hz. Some years ago, I
experimented with phase reversal, using a tone
that duplicated the patient's tinnitus. I thought it
might be possible to effect cancellation by
reversing the phase of the presented tone. I slowly rotated the phase through 360 degrees in an
effort to find some phase relationship where cancellation of the tinnitus was produced. Of the 35
patients we tested, only two noticed a difference
- they thought that their tinnitus had developed
a "roughness" at about 135 degrees of phase
although the tinnitus was still clearly present.
There were no cases of cancellation of tinnitus.
I think research of this sort is worth pursuing. I
just don't know how to suggest that it be done.
[Q]
Mr. K. in Ohio asks, "Are you aware

of any research on tinnitus and
Dilantin?"
Dilantin, Mysoline, and Tegratol have all

been used with tinnitus patients. These
drugs are anti-epileptic (anticonvulsant)
medications. Some years ago, scientists in New
Zealand were treating epileptic patients with
these medications when one such patient reported that the treatment had stopped her tinnitus.
They proceeded to treat tinnitus patients with
these same drugs. The success with them has
been moderate. I think that the patients who are
helped with these drugs are those for whom the
brain loci for the perception of their tinnitus
happens to coincide with the brain seizure area.
I remain convinced that brain mapping will ultimately provide a cure for at least some forms of
tinnitus.
[Q]
Mr. S. from New York asks if flying is

advisable for those with tinnitus. He
indicates that he wears hearing aids.
Unless you have Eustachian tube problems, flying should be no problem. I do

recommend that you remove the hearing
aids and insert earplugs for take off and landing.
Also, the aircraft engine noise is less the farther
forward you sit on the plane. Unless you have
experience to the contrary, I would say that flying is okay for tinnitus patients. I encourage you
to try to live your life as normally as possible,
but always take the precaution to protect your
ears from loud sounds.
(See "Barometric Changes in the Ear, " page 18)
Mr. Me. in New Jersey comments that
since tinnitus is a symptom similar to
pain, why not treat tinnitus with pain
medication?
[Q]
When something is wrong in the body,

the usual signal of that condition is pain.
Tinnitus is a signal that something is
wrong somewhere in the hearing system (and
sometimes elsewhere in the body too). I suppose
that if it turns out that the brain center responsible for tinnitus is also a brain area responsible
for the perception of pain, then use of pain medication might be helpful for tinnitus.
(continued)
Ms. B. from Massachusetts presents an

interesting and often asked question:
What is the difference between recruitment and hyperacusis?
[Q]
Hyperacusis is a collapse of loudness

tolerance wherein almost all but the
quietest of sounds are perceived as
being uncomfortably loud. Recruitment is simply
the rapid growth of loudness for those sounds
that are located in the pitch region containing
hearing impairment. I can illustrate this difference better in the following diagram.
Normal
NonnaiLoudness
Discomfort Level
I
I
I Recruitment
11
I
I
I
..J
-'
- .. ---'--------- .....-~
1
Hyperacusis
- - - - - - - - - - - Hyperal?usis Loudness
Discomfort Level
Sound Intensity
In the diagram above, note that the recruiting ear reaches about the same loudness level
as the normal ear but does so in a very rapid
fashion. Recruiting occurs only for those tones
for which there is a hearing impairment.
Hyperacusis patients, on the other hand, find
that all sounds are uncomfortably loud. Many
of these patients judge that they have supersensitive hearing ability but that isn't true.
In fact, many of these patients actually have
hearing impairment.
Despite my retirement, I hope each of you will feel free to
continue to ask questions of me. I also hope you will not be shy
about providing answers to the questions of others.
Notice. Many of you have left messages requesting that I
phone you. I simply cannot afford to meet those requests. Please
feel free to call me on any Wednesday, 9:30 a.m. - noon and
1.30- 4.30 p.m. (5031494-2187). Please send your questions to.
Dr. Jack Vernon c/o ATA, Tinnitus Thday, PO Box 5, Portland,
OR 97207-0005.
23
ATA Across the U.S.A.

by Pat Daggett, Assistant Director
The ATA participates in a number of
national hearing-related conventions each year
in an attempt to educate hearing professionals
about tinnitus and about our services. This year,
we're off and running!
We started the year
at the Tri-State
Hearing Association
meeting in February.
That association
includes hearing
equipment specialists
from Washington,
Oregon, and Idaho.
The meeting site this
Gail Brenner; MA, CCC-A, left year was in Coeur
and Pat Daggett, right
d'Alene, Idaho, in spite
of wintry conditions
which threatened to snow people in or out of
the area. One of the more creative features of
this meeting was a check-off list of all exhibitors
which required each
registrant to visit the
booths in order to be
eligible for prizes.
Exhibitors were thus
insured of at least one
contact with each
attendee. Then it was
up to each of us to get
our message across.
Since the family
physician is usually
the first professional
contact a tinnitus patient makes, it was decided
that we should let them know about the ATA
and its services. Attendees at the March convenDan Soler
24
tion of The College of

Physicians exceeded
6,000 and proved to be
a receptive target.
Most of these professionals expressed frustration because there
is no ready answer for
tinnitus and were
pleased to have somewhere to send patients
for information and
Dhyan Cassie, MA, CCC-A,
support. It was also
right and Paula Bonillas,
Hearing Health editor; left
rewarding for me to
meet with local
Philadelphia hearing professionals such as Lisa
Blackman, Gail Brenner, and Billy Martin, who
are part of the ATA network. Dr. Robert Sataloff
gave a well-received presentation to the local
tinnitus support group
which I was able to
attend. The opportunity to visit facilities
where tinnitus
patients are treated
was also a welcome
experience.
The American
Academy of Audiology
chose Ft. Lauderdale
Richard TJjler; Ph.D
as the location for its
9th annual convention. Gloria and I attended this meeting which
included a presentation by Jastreboff and Gold
on "Tinnitus Retraining Therapy." More than
700 enthusiastic audiologists requested information about tinnitus from us during the course of
the three-day meeting. Our job was facilitated by
the use of a card machine, which recorded the
name and address of each visitor to the booth.
(Our data entry personnel here at home much
prefer the printouts from those machines over
the handwritten lists of the past!) Members of
our professional and support networks who visited the booth were: Gary Jacobson, Craig
Newman, Susan Gold, Rich 'JYler, Pawell
Jastreboff, Robert Sweetow, Gail Brenner, Dhyan
Cassie, Donna Wayner, Sharon Hefner, Larry
Brown, and Dan Soler. Good to see you all!
Tributes, Sponsors, Special Donors,

Professional Associates
Champions of Silence arc a select group of donors demonstrating their comm itm e n t in the fight agai nst t i n n itus by making
a contribu tion or research donation of $500 or more. Sponsors and Assoc iate contrib u te at the S l 00-S499 leve1. ATA's tnb
u r e fund is designated 1 00 % for researc h . We send o u r thanks t0 all who are listed below for sharin g memorable occasions
in this hopeful way . Con tributions arc cax deductible and a re promptly acknowledged with an appropriate card. The gift
amount is never disclosed . GIFTS FROM 1 - 1 6-97 to 4-1 5-97.
Champions
of Silence
Thomas w. Buchholtz ,
M D.
Gerald Cu nningham
Robert R. Deskovick
l)nnna ,i nr l Rnhert
Gra ham
Claude 1-L Grinard
Edmund J Grossberg,
C .L.U .
William H . Little
Vince Majerus
Stee Martin
Helen Pa .,p as
Schoenstadt Fa m i ly
foundation
William P. Roberts
James L. Schiller, C.F.P
Sponsor Members
H . E. Bud' Adams
Frank Alberuni
.Jo 'ell Alexander
Earl E. Anderwn
A nthony An tunes
Gerald W, A pe l
Mike Aq uilante
David M . Ba nlett
Sam Berkman
R. John Bishopp
Barbara B. Bixby
Richard A. Bolt
Dorothy M . Brahm
Glenn M . Brewer
Alan L. Brock
Rohen L. Brown
Richard A Bums
M. .l Q' R. Camilleri
Linda Champlin
Kerry N. Chatham ,
D V. M .
Clary Ch i l ders
Guv R. Clark
Gner C. Cole
Diana Connoll y
Richard R_ Conright
Dap hne Suzanne
Crocker-White , Ph .D.
Pierre David
Walter Z. Davis
Edwin De \"ilbiss
Jeffrey J. Derosserte
John L. Dosen
.Robert J du Bml
H Eaton
Eric D. Eberhard
Gerard Evans
Isabel Feld
Kathryn E. Fitzsi m mons
M argaret Fl emin g
Mary A Floyd
Joy A. Foga rty
George
Gaston
Veva J Gibba rd
Jame S. Gold
James A. Gomes
I rc nc S. l larrison
Dennis D. H emdl
Heindl Family
Fou ndation
Mark Herritz
Dorothy R. and John
Hiliner
Andrew Hrivnak, I J L
Robert C. l nceni
Edward A. Iovino
El izabelh A Ivankovic
Kurt Jensen
'ils P. Jensen
Ke nneth w. Jone
Col . Hennr B. Keese
M , ke Kim
Donald King
Thoma J. Kingi.e rt
Shirley E. Kodmur
Ronald T. Krasnitz
Roben S. Kurz
Sonn y Lan
Glide ,. omt y Laml re th,
Ill
E:ric C. Larson
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William A . Lu p ton
Rohen L. MacLarkey
A n nene D. Mallory
Phil E. Marshall
W. Gordon Manin
Mary K. Macson
Colin L. M cMasccr
Paul J. Meade
.James I. Mock
Earl R. Moo te
Sara Beall 'eal
Caroline S. 'unan
Ruth E. Ochs
Gerald Pa l azzola
R. J Palombit
Randy L. Park
Thomas J. Patrician
Mike Perroft
Keith Price
Margaret W. Ratchford
Patrick R. Richards
Loretta M. Rose
H oward Rothenstein
Edmund B. R1mledge
Stephen C. Say egh
Palmer Sealy , Jr.
Roben C. Sitti g
J ames W oudriette
Richard H . Steckler
Howard C. tidham
Michael M. Sullivan
La rry Sweeden
Daniel K. Turkington
Jeffrev s. Th hman
Pat Tauer
Flemmi n g To pp
Emerv z. Toth
H oward . Turner
Scott Turne r
Arlene B. VanNorden
Elizabeth VanPatren
Robert .I Ve ltkam p
Joseph E. Wall
Edward R. Weiss
Delme r D. Weisz
Robert 1.. Whittington
David L_ Williams
Jose p h H. Williams. Jr.
John A. Wu nderlich
Maril 'Tl K. Zion
Professional
Associates
Audiological Consultin g
Williston Park , 1 Y
C a rol A Bauer, M. D.
Prof. Ero! Belgi n, Ph.D
Cail B. Brenner.
MA CCCA
Sid ney . Busis, M. D
M . Monica Diecsch
'orman frankeJ, Ph.D.
Edward W Gallag her,
M . D.
George w Hirn, M.D
Kenneth M . Jones
William Hal Manin,
Ph .D.
David L. Mehlum , M . D.
Peter A. Mercola ,
M . . E. E.
Melvin lock , BC-HIS
Wil liam H . Moretz J r. ,
M.D.
Ste p hen M. Nagler, M.D.
Thomas J. Nornood,
M.S. P.A./CCC
Edward J. Riedjn ge r,
BC-I-US
Richard L. Ru ggl es, M D
Mishail Sha p iro, D.0 .
John G . Sim mons , M.D.
Frank A. Skinner
Reter Tuambazis, D.M . D .
David K . Woodruff,
1'1AtCCCA
I Ia rry Zimme rm a n,
CCCA
In Memory Of
In Honor Of
'Irud Drucker, Ph. D .

an cy Ahrens, BC-HIS
Adele Alam
John Alam
Bob Bachmann, on behal f
of M r. Halk's German
class
Mr and M rs . 'ichola
Bilotta
Frances Blan q uer
Ro e Cartaxo
Pe ggy and Jim Doy le and
fa mil y
Jules Drucker
J . te p hen Enlow
Mr. and Mrs. Edward
Ford, J r.
Anna Frisbie
Richard A. Gardne r,
1 . D . , P.A.
Bill and Cind y Gold
Lou is W. Halk
Ma ryA n n Halladay
Kath y Hatheld
Labib y Joseph
Mary Anne Ketabchi
Joel F. Lehrer M . D.,
F.A.C.S.
Marv L. Mc 1ahon
I rmtraud Muller
Carmen O' Brien
Andrea Ouida
Edna Pe trovic
Ruth and ick Rainone
Dick a n d Pat Smith
Julia Teh
Vi rgi n ia and William
Thurston
J i m Ecker
Mr. and M rs. Arlo Nash
Sue Fuschino
Jose ph Fishman, BC-H C S
Walter Hoch
Sy ! via Eisenbe rg
Charles Kiker
Catherine R. Kiker
France Kuntz.
Mr. and Mrs. Ario Nash
Ru ell ash
Mr. and Mrs. Ario 'ash
Selma and Jan
Rothenbe yg
Susan R. Ericson
G eorge Rou p as
M argaret K. Leventis
l\la ry Vivian chafer
Cannen Plavec
Helen zaborowski
Paul Se tito
Mr. and Mrs. Pau l Be rgi n
Ernest C. uer, Jr.

Ernest S. and Bena L.
,\uer
Frances .Autio
Laura Autio
Brett Blasdel
Elleke Mesdag
. Lawrence Gibso n
Thomas Dupree. Jr.
Mark Graham ( for you r
bi:rthcla )
Donna and Harold
Graham
Chr:is topbe:r V.
Houghton (for you r
birthday)
J.T. Wilson
Sandra Sweat
O.W Swi;al
Jack Vernon, Ph . D.
Frank Long
Thomas Steinberg
Corporations with
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Mri; France.s R t1tio
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ancy Benevento
Lillian Bertin
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Sally Bishop
Richard C. Blagde n
Lorraine E. Blake
Sanford Blaser
Tinnitus Today/June 1 997
25
Tributes, Sponsors.
Jane M. Borden
Adolph Bourdaa
E. Raymond Bowden
Robert J. Bradley
Mrs. Cecile T. Brennan
Kay M. Breyer
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Woodrow Carr
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Ronald H. Cohen
Ann L. Coker
Clifford S. Collins
James J. Contrada
Donald J. Cook
Jack S. Cooley
John B. Corcoran
Catherine Cotter
Capt. Thomas C.
Crane,USN Ret.
Daphne Suzanne
Crocker-White, Ph.D.
Priscilla Crombie
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Ted A. Curreri
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William P. Curry
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Clarence E. Dunn, Jr.
James Eisenbacher
Linda D. Elliott
Paul T. Fabrizio
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Frederick W. Feedore
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Betty L. Ferdinand
Larry C. Focht
26
Mary C. Foreman
Ernest W. Fowble
Salvatore Fragliossi
Herbert Frank
Rose Friedman
Viola L. Fuchs
Richard A. Gardner, M.D.
Perry Gault
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Maj. Leo A. Gendron
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Carl Granitzer
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Gary W. Hafers
John Haleston
Richard E. Haney
James C. Hansberger
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Rita Harrison
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Mr. and Mrs. James A.
Harvey, Jr.
Russell S. Haydon
Lela LaRose Hays
Fernando Hazan
Emmett E. Hearn
Lester L. Berglund
Carlos R. Hernandez
Carl L. Herrington
Mark Herritz
E. Alan Hildstrom
William S. Hodges
Eva Hofman
Julian Hoogstra
Alan A. Horak
Jack Huang
Joseph H. Huber
John R. Intorcia
Olga R. Jackson
Lucille J. Jantz
Georgia Johnson
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Frank J. Kaplarczyk
Lucille Karsh
Deann and James Kasper
John P. Keehn
Henry C. Keene, Jr.
Henry B. Keese
R. L. Keheley
Robert J. Kellner
Johnetta E. Kelly
Shirley M. Kimel
Howard G. King
Louise M. King
Gerald F. Kiplinger
Alan D. Kirby
Richard S. Kittell
Carole B. Knapp
Patricia A. Koehler
Frank V Koenig
Marjorie Kovach
(continued)
Norma Kratz
William J. Krestik
R. W. and Susan Krinks
William E. Kuster
Gary J. Kutzler
Jerry J. Laforgia
Blanche A. Lagasse
Sonny Lan
Robert N. Lando
Mary A. Lange
Donald J. Larivee
Mrs. Grace C. Leath
Robert L. Lewis
Alfred Lieberman
Willard Littlehale
Ann Lotesto
Betty B. Lotz
William Don Lovell
Eleanor Mammino
Mario Mantovani, M.D.
Thomas E. Marler
Mary K. Matson
John E. Mattos
Richard J. McBride
Michaelann McGuire
Mildred Barnes Meadows
Edward J. Megerian
Ruth L. Meier
Richard L. Meiss
Ruth A. Meister
Lawrence E. Mercker
Patrick Michael, Jr.
Gary L. Miller
Jack M. Miller
Richard J. Minogue
Victor B. Miron
Jackie Moliis
Joseph M. Morgan
Eugene V Moriarty
Rebecca Morrison
Jeff Morse
Louis G. Moser
Thomas F. Mottard
Mary Moulton
Barbara J. Myers
Dr. Norman Namm
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Neysa Orraca
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Robert C. Parsons
Thomas J. Patrician
Jean L. Paulson
Carlton H. Phillips
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Robert D. Pitcher
Jay L. Pomrenze
Barbara Press
Keith Price
Geraldine E. Prostek
Albert J. Quattromani, Sr.
Eldon Radtke
James V Ragano
Rose M. Rainona
Col. Ret. Raymond Randt
Delin Ransdell
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Herman B. Raymond
Scott Rayow
Matthew T. Read
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Linda Reiman
Richard A. Reinhardt
Rev. Daniel Reynolds
'Ibm Rifai
Raymond A. Ritter
Selma R. Robey
Vernon Robinson
Steven P. Rocco
Susan E. Roof
Shirley R. Roos
Robert W. Roper
James G. Rudd
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Frank A. Scafuri
Charles Scaglione
Chester Scarci
Herman J. Schechter
Martin F. Schmidt
Michael K. Scholnick
Arlene Schreder
Eileen Schuettinger
Doreen Scott
David Shaine
Abu Siddeeq
Frederic Silberman
Vincent Silvestri
Elsie R. Simas
Richard M. Simpson
Fernando Sisto
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Randall S. Smith
Richard C. Smith
Leona Sobie
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Anthony Somma
Rudolph Sonnberger
E. Wayne South
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Stanton
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Glenn L. Weiand
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Tinnitus Today June 1997 Vol 22, No 2

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June 1997

Volume 22, Number 2

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The Journal of the American Tinnitus Association

Scientific Advisory Committee

The Honorable Mark 0. Hatfield

Volume 22 Number 2, June 1997

New Drug Research for Tinnitus

11 Air Bag Ruling? - Still Up in the Air

17 New Support Network Volunteers

From the Editor

21 Questions and Answers

From the Editor

Welcome to several people who

The Honorable xxxxxxxx

I am a member of the American Tinnitus

From the Editor

Below is a list of the most crucial House

More News ....

Letters to the Editor

you immensely for the help I have

fter 18 months of suffering and visiting

6 Tinnitus 'Ibday/ June 1997

n the December 1996 issue of Tinnitus

Letters to the Editor

~e_veloped _tinnit~s i~mediately after being

you are using "in the canal" hearing protection,

Our readers occasionally want to contact the

Tinnitus Today/ June 1997

New Drug Research for Tinnitus

Our advice: Be careful.

8 Tinnitus 1bday/June 1997

Funds $870,383 in Tinnitus Research," Tinnitus

AMERICAN SOCIETY ON AGING

SAVE THE DATES

Elderly People and Tinnitus

input either by more appropriate hearing aid

Tinnitus is frequently seen as an "old age

Health and mobility problems

Tinnitus Thday/June 1997

Elderly People and Tinnitus

Isolation and loneliness

Tinnitus Tbday/June 1997

ness to therapies such as counseling or cognitive

Air Bag Ruling?

Still Up in the Air

by Barbara Tabachnick, Client Services Manager

the disconnects. We're trying to follow NHTSA's

Tinnitus Thday/ June 1997

Back issues of Tinnitus Today now available!

Most issues of Tinnitus Tbday produced in the

Tinnitus Tbday/June 1997

March 1995 - Drugs and Tinnitus Relief

The following issues are available as photocopies only:

You Can Overcome Your Tinnitus

I am sure that all of you

I know what it's like to see the audiologist's

Back Issues (continued)

Shipping and Handling

Tinnitus Tbday/ June 1997

ATA's New Scientific Advisory

is the Director of the

Tinnitus Thday/ June 1997