Millions of persons have ringing in the ears, tinnitus, and suffer needlessly. Often they are told to “just live with it.” Since it is subjective – only they can hear it, they may be viewed as “just imagining it.” But tinnitus symptoms are very real and very distressing. They bring down the quality of life. With the Ear Ringing Relief app, now the person with tinnitus can demonstrate their inner sound to others and treat their condition.

With the ear ringing relief app, you can listen to the tones available from the app. These are in theH range of sounds heard by those with tinnitus. You can even adjust the exact volume in order to “show and tell” about your tinnitus to your therapist.

Here is the Tinnitus Score Test. Please take this before using the Ear Ringing Relief app, then repeat the test three months later. By sending us the results, confidentially, this will help us to evaluate our therapy in order to help others.

ScoTinnitus Score Test

Please take this Tinnitus Evaluation Test and note your score. There are 20 questions. Choose the answer that best describes your condition. After you have finished the test keep your results.

Name Date

Tinnitus Score: Please rate all questions on a scale from 1 – 5.
0 – Never at all 3 – It is a mild problem
1 – Slight or Occasional 4 – It is definitely a problem
2 – It is sometimes a problem 5 – It is a severe problem occurring all the time

QUESTIONS

1. Because of your tinnitus is it hard to concentrate?
2. Does tinnitus interfere with your sleep?
3. Does the loudness of your tinnitus make it difficult for you to hear people?
4. Does your tinnitus make you angry?
5. Because of your tinnitus do you feel desperate?
6. Do you have trouble falling sleep at night?
7. Does your tinnitus interfere with your social life (Restaurants, movies, parties?)
8. Because of your tinnitus do you feel frustrated?
9. Does your tinnitus make it difficult for you to enjoy everyday life activities?
10. Does your tinnitus interfere with your job?
11. Because of your tinnitus are you often irritable?
12. Because of your tinnitus is it hard to read?
13. Because of your tinnitus do you often feel tired?
14. Because of your tinnitus have you sought or taken antidepressant medication?
15. Because of your tinnitus do you feel anxious?
16. Does your tinnitus get worse under stress?
17. Is it difficult to turn you attention away from your tinnitus for games or recreation?
18. Does your tinnitus make you upset?
19. Does your tinnitus control you?
20. Does your tinnitus bother you even when you are relaxed, even with relaxed breathing and thinking?

Date: _________ Your Total Score: ____________

After you have used the Ringing in the Ear App for 3 months, please repeat the test to evaluate your improvement. We would love to hear from you.
Murray Grossan, M.D.

COPYRIGHT 2007 HEAR HEALTH, INC.

I believe a major benefit of the Ear Ringing Relief app comes from the emotional relief it can bring. When someone has a broken arm, his or her friends see the cast and even write on it. He can even frame a picture of his X ray. When someone is diagnosed as having diabetes, they don’t feel hesitant to tell their family. But how do you tell your family, or your doctor, “I have tinnitus.”

With the Ear Ringing Relief app, they can identify the tinnitus sound, measure the volume, and show it to the doctor or the family. I refer to this as the “show and tell” advantage.

Now, anyone can show and tell the doctor his or her tinnitus sound, and return later to demonstrate their tinnitus sound after treatment. This will speed all future therapies.

When you are tested for tinnitus, the audiologist will measure for residual inhibition. This means, when you hear the sound from the app for a certain period of time, you no longer hear the “inside” ringing. This is because certain neurons are discharged.

Patients benefit by practicing inhibition. For my patients, I have them find their tinnitus sound on the app, listen to it for a minute, then see how long their tinnitus stops. Then they practice making their period of inhibition last longer. They can try different periods of listening. The goal is to increase the length of time of the inhibition. Ideally it lasts long enough to fall asleep.

Biofeedback is useful. Using the Ear Ringing Relief app, the patient listens to the app sound at a reduced volume. Then she tries to match that reduced volume. With practice the patient’s volume is reduced over time.

The tinnitus app sound can be played softly in the background as a means of masking or distraction. This is like pleasant music playing, and is preferred by some patients. However the Ear Ringing Relief app also provides a lovely waterfall sound that can be listened to also. Depends on what someone prefers.

The Ear Ringing Relief app is available from iTunes or App Store for iPhone or iPod. There are two sections. One is a text/voice program for stress reduction and cognition. The second section provides the tinnitus sounds from 500 to 8000 Hz. at an adjustable volume and can be played continuously.

Many of the principles in current tinnitus therapies such as Tinnitus Retraining Therapy, Neuronimics, Oasis can be used by the Ear Ringing Relief app, the major differnce is that those programs cost thousands and the app 99 cents.

When I introduced Biofeedback for Tinnitus years ago, this required an elaborate set up. I am gratified that the same therapy is available here in this app so that anyone can afford it.