The Buzz on Tinnitus

By TARA PARKER-POPE


Tinnitus, an annoying hum or ringing in the ears, affects about one in five people, making it one of the most common medical afflictions.

One well-known tinnitus sufferer is Dr. Jerome Groopman, author of “How Doctors Think” and other popular dispatches from the front lines of medicine. Dr. Groopman writes in this week’s New Yorker about his own efforts to learn about and treat his condition in the article “That Buzzing Sound: The Mystery of Tinnitus.” He writes:

I noticed the sound one evening about a year ago. At first, I thought an alarm had been set off. Then I realized that the noise — a high-pitched drone — was mainly in my right ear. It has been with me ever since. The tone varies, from a soft whoosh like a shower to a piercing screech resembling a dental drill. When I am engaged in work at the hospital or in the laboratory, it seems distant. But in idle moments it gets louder and more annoying, once even jarring me from a dream.

Dr. Groopman explores the history and causes of the disorder as well as an emerging group of tinnitus sufferers: young soldiers returning from Iraq. He also writes about his own efforts to find a solution, and how simple hearing aids have helped.

For more information, check out the Times Health Guide on tinnitus, including information on new therapies to treat it.
Fuente; "The New York Times"February 2, 2009,
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/02/the-buzz-on-tinnitus/