Tuning out tinnitus: Millions work to overcome head noise

The problems all started with a hiss and a ring.

It was Sal Gentile's 62nd birthday, and he and his wife, Mattie, returned home from dinner with friends.

Noise at the restaurant had drowned out some of the 75-decibel hissing and chirping in Gentile's head, a sound he likens to those in an industrial machinery shop. But at home, the constant reverberation made the outgoing, active native New Yorker want to crawl into bed and hide. "This was devastating to me," he says.

He knew the hissing wasn't hearing loss; the Odessa resident had been wearing an aid for three years to help with a high-frequency tone deficiency. He and his doctors suspected that a series of sinus infections and related surgeries were responsible for a condition they finally identified as tinnitus.

An estimated 16 million Americans deal with enough of the distracting "ringing in the ear" that they seek medical attention, the American Tinnitus Association reports. Of those, about 2 million struggle to manage with daily functions.

Gentile found himself in that latter category, and grew frustrated when doctors informed him there's no medical cure for the condition. For years he had been a gym rat and avid distance cyclist. Now he was staying in bed until 2 p.m. every day, hiding from the noise.

"They told me you have to live with it. There's no cure for it," he says of the diagnosis nearly seven months ago. "That's unacceptable."

The National Institutes of Health agrees that there's no medical cure for tinnitus, which is described as the perception of "noises in your ears when there is no outside source of the sounds." It can be constant or intermittent. And, as in Gentile's case, it can slowly creep in over months or years.

The cause isn't clear, though experts do say tinnitus is a symptom of other problems, such as ear infections, hearing loss, cardiovascular disease, excessive ear wax and exposure to loud noises. Other outside factors, such as diet or medications, have been known to trigger the hissing, roaring, whistling, chirping or clicking sounds, the Tinnitus Association says.

Treating tinnitus, experts say, is really about "masking" the distracting noises with competing sounds. There's no one remedy, though Gentile says something like the sound of a running shower or washing machine can drown out the annoyances for him.

Quiet places are often where tinnitus is most noticed and white noise such as a humidifier or low-level music can help. But the NIH says it's just as important to avoid aggravators, such as caffeine, alcohol and smoking. Stress isn't a cause of tinnitus, but it sure can worsen the condition.

This is what makes tinnitus different from hearing loss, which is permanent in cases where the inner ear or auditory nerve is damaged. Other treatable hearing loss occurs when sound waves don't reach the inner ear thanks to fluid, buildup or a puncturing of the eardrum, NIH scientists say. In those cases, surgery, implants, medication and other treatments may be options.

Thanks to an online support group, Gentile says he learned that his "incurable" tinnitus doesn't have to limit his level of activity. Now, when he hits the gym or drives a car, he wears "air buds" that wrap outside his earlobe and channel his favorite jazz and rock music from his iPod. He falls asleep to a sound machine featuring ocean noises or a baby's heartbeat.

Cognitive behavioral therapy, which helps retrain the brain's reaction to noise, also pays off, Gentile says.

"It's not in your ears," he says. "It's in your brain."

Gentile's experiences with his own condition inspired him to launch a 100-mile bike ride fundraiser in May for the American Tinnitus Association. The all-volunteer organization serves as an educational resource and online gathering space for individuals around the world living with tinnitus.

He's also speaking to local civic groups, hoping to reach other people suffering silently with the condition. He's concerned most with the hearing of combat veterans and young people. Soldiers exposed to extreme noise are at risk, as are teens who have grown up with blaring music in their ears.

He's hoping that getting the word out will help more people with tinnitus understand that while they can't cure the condition, they can live with it.

"I'm not afraid of it anymore," he says. "It's just a sound."

Ride for tinnitus

The Tinnitus Century Ride to benefit the American Tinnitus Association will be held May 18 on the Withlacoochee Trail. For more information, visit The American Tinnitus Association at http://bike.ata.org/team-pages/top-of-the-bay.