Breaking The Silence…Tinnitus

• Dusseldorf, Germany – 1991
• We are playing to a sold out crowd at the Phillip’s Sport Halle
• The sound pressure levels are deafening
• 10,000 people are screaming
• The drums sound like cannon
• Electric guitars, bass and keyboards pushing 110 decibels on stage as we play for two hours straight.

Backstage, Tony – my close friend and drummer for the band – crumbles in my arms and keeps repeating, “I can’t take it anymore! I can’t take it anymore!” This was my introduction to the maddening effect of severe tinnitus.

Recent statistics estimate:

• Over 50 million Americans experience tinnitus.
• Of these, 12 million have tinnitus severe enough to seek medical attention.
• About 2 million are so debilitated by the tinnitus they cannot function at a normal day-to-day level.

What is Tinnitus

Tinnitus:

• Defined is hearing ringing, buzzing, roaring or other sounds without an external cause.
• May be experienced in one or both ears by patients.
• Is diagnosed in two categories: objective or subjective.
  • In objective tinnitus, the doctor can hear the sounds as well as the patient.
  • Subjective tinnitus can only be heard by the patient.

Before I continue, let me stress the importance of seeking professional help to accurately diagnose your tinnitus. Properly diagnosing tinnitus is as difficult as tracking down endless possibilities for an electrical problem in your car.

In cases of objective tinnitus, there is usually a structural issue:

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  Tumors
• Pressurized blood flow through congested or malformed vessels
• Muscular spasms

Objective tinnitus is rare; most cases are subjective. Subjective tinnitus is often associated with hearing loss. Some cause of subjective tinnitus are:

• Impacted earwax
• Ear infections
• Hardening of the inner ear
• Hearing loss do to age or excessive noise
• Ototoxic medications such as aspirin and quinine
• Some diuretics
• Certain antibiotics
• Head trauma
• And systemic diseases

Who is at Risk of Tinnitus

Now that we know what tinnitus is, lets discuss who is most at risk.

Obviously, construction workers that work with heavy equipment like jackhammers and power tools face a great occupational hazard. Believe it or not, musicians top our list at risk for tinnitus – with rock drummers coming in at number one!

As a professional musician and music producer, I can tell you first hand how important earplugs are. You see, drummers not only get whacked with the volume of the other musicians, but they get the “rim shot” from their snare drum – which is LOUD!!!

When I looked at the list of musicians that admit suffering with tinnitus in wikipedia’s tinnitus post, I wasn’t at all surprised that my favorite singer Bono of U2 was one of the first names I came across!

You see, some musicians have suffered with tinnitus or frequency loss because they were not aware of the danger and played loud music for years without wearing earplugs. Today, musicians are far more informed. In fact, there are websites dedicated to helping musicians save their hearing. This is my personal fave: www.hearnet.com

H.E.A.R. is a volunteer network dedicated to helping musicians retain their hearing. One thing I have learned the hard way is… whenever you are exposed to noise, wear your earplugs!

Another statistic on the rise is ear damage from car stereos and mp3/iPod players with earbuds. High SPLs (Sound Pressure Levels) are very damaging unless they are deflected. In-ear monitors and earbuds send high decibel sound directly into the ear cavity. When using your earbuds, make sure you are not turning the volume up too high, which can cause permanent hearing impairment including tinnitus.

Damages of Tinnitus

Now, here is where it gets interesting… It isn’t the shear volume that damages your ears. It is the distortion around the signal!

Let me explain. There are two types of electrical impulses: signal and noise.

• Signal is a pure electrical impulse or sound wave transmitted or received.
• Noise is a spurious fluctuation that accompanies a transmitted signal but is NOT part of it. In fact, it obscures the pure signal.

Signal to noise ratio (SNR or S/R) is a scientific measure that compares the level of a desired signal to the level of background noise. Have you ever been in a movie theater and someone starts talking, popping their gum or answers their cell phone? You see, the movie is the desired signal; the rude person has become the unwanted noise!

Obviously, the higher the signal to noise ratio, the better you can focus on the signal. The part of the noise that damages the ear is called distortion. Noise and distortion are not always one and the same.

• If the noise has a sine wave shape, it is a distraction but not damaging to the ear.
• When the noise around the signal has a square or sawtooth waveform, it is called distortion and can be potentially damaging to your ears. A few examples would be an airplane taking off, a loud motorcycle or a typical “hard rock” guitar sound.

Scientific measurement of signal to noise and distortion is called SINAD ratio.

Tinnitus and Noise Pollution

The truth is, dear reader, we are inundated with noise pollution.

Today, in our automated, boisterous, industrialized world, quiet is relative. To someone on an island in the South Pacific, it is quiet when the wind stops blowing. Yet, to someone who lives in New York City, it is quiet when the subway passes.

Right now, you are being assaulted by microwave, radio wave, EMFS and cell phone radiation, etc, which equates to NOISE!

Is it any wonder the art of communication is becoming a lost art? In our generation, the signal to noise ratio is lower than any other time in history. Noise is broadcasting to more noise and the true desirable signal is being drowned out by technology that we hold in our hands: our beloved cell phones.

The desirable signal being drowned out is the human voice!

When I opened the lens a little I discovered a couple of things I never realized before… The cells of the body communicate with biochemical signals! That’s right! Cells must have healthy communication to carry out functions indicative of good health.

Are you with me? When there is noise on a biochemical cellular level it can impede the communication between cells, thereby creating an environment for confusion, which can lead to disease…which simply defined is when the body is no longer at ease!

Did you know the same principal holds true for literature?

Here is a perfect example. You wake up early and post a new status on your Facebook page, only to discover within minutes people have taken your thread in an entirely different direction than you had intended. Your status was the signal, the off-topic comments and “sniper” spam is the noise, which completely obscured your original intention.

Politicians do this all the time, using their rhetoric to twist and turn the issue until it becomes something else entirely.

Have you ever had a fight with a spouse or family member that started with a noble intention? How does a good intention become a fight? Simple.

By the time your words (signal) were transmitted, the receiver twisted them creating noise and the original intent is skewed. The transmitter (you) raises the volume, which is now accompanied by frustration, which in turn amplifies the noise. Because the original signal has been virtually squelched, you now have a situation that is gradually escalating to a tornado.

So, here is the tension. Communication is essential for life and peace. It is the true (pure) signal. However, our world has become polluted with noise.

Tinnitus and the Quiet Silence

The biggest problem a tinnitus sufferer faces is never having a quiet moment. Jesus places a high premium on weaving silence into our lives. There are several helpful supplements and practical tips that can help you with tinnitus. No doubt you will read about them in this issue. Yet, nothing compares to the peace you can experience by spending time in His presence.

“Come to Me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest.” ~ Matthew 11:28

There is no sickness, disease or trouble that He is not acquainted with. The same God that quiets the wind and the waves will calm your storm.

Psalm 23 is like medicine for the soul.

“The Lord is my shepherd. I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside quiet waters. He refreshes my soul.”

And that’s just the first three verses!

When Jesus’ disciples became weary, Jesus would always take them to a solitary place to escape the noise of the world. Jesus had a quiet place – a secret garden called Gethsemane, which means place of oil or oil press. It was a place of healing, a place of quiet, a place of prayer.

Where is your Gethsemane, dear reader? All of us need a place where the noise of this world is silenced and we can hear God’s signal, His still small voice.

Help God help you. Start this week and find a place where no one can find you but God. Turn off your cell phone, close your eyes and listen… He will surely speak.

As always, it is an honor to share my heart with you. It is my prayer that your signal to noise ratio will increase daily as you enter your quiet place.

Till next month,
Michael

• What are some ways you can lower the noise pollution where you live and work?

• Have you tried ginko biloba herb or earplugs when you sleep?

• Do you believe God is capable of healing you?