Talk:Tinnitus

Methamphetamine use may cause tinnitus.

The article says it is not known what causes subject tinnitis, implying it is known what causes objective tinnitis, but never says what it is.

"Jackson K Beavis"?

Who is "Jackson K Beavis" and why should anyone care that he (?) has tinnitus? Hopefully someone can add a cite to that, and then maybe an entry on said person. Elanna-Rose 10:38, 11 September 2007 (UTC)

Beavis removed. Do you have a reference for Osama? Binksternet 14:29, 11 September 2007 (UTC)

No, I don't have a ref. But then, I didn't add either name. I was here for formatting. Elanna-Rose 08:47, 18 September 2007 (UTC)

Okay, I removed Osama Rao from the list after googling his name and finding a student instead of a famous person, musician or notable researcher. Binksternet 21:39, 18 September 2007 (UTC)

Edit War

There is some bad guy that always places a link to Dr. Shemesh's clinic. He also uses other articles to place his advertising. Interestingly he does not seem to like the TSMB.

Comments on Edit War

I started the TSMB with the help of many others I met on another online support group that went offline because of conflicts/flame wars... like the one with Dr. Shemesh's treatment. We (Admins) had strict rules about advertising but we had a constant problem with one of Dr. Shemesh's "people" placing ads in all of his posts.

I don't think this is the place to name him but I would be glad to give it to Wikipedia if they want it.

Jokerwitht 03:57, 19 January 2007 (UTC)Jokerwitht

Vandalism?

Perception of a penis with no external sauce?

It's okay to stick your nose in, whenever you see something obviously wrong. First thing I learned here was how to revert. Shenme 05:29, 21 November 2005 (UTC)

HEAVY METAL

Suggestion to add HEAVY METAL to the list of causes thedcm

Hearing loss is already there. JFW | T@lk 05:47, 12 March 2006 (UTC)

Tinnitus vs Tinnitus Perception

In part, this article confuses 'tinnitus' (which may be caused by noise trauma for example,) with 'tinnitus perception' which may increase as a consequence of stress or decrease as a consequence of therapy.

What frequency?

To anyone experiencing chronic tinnitus out there, I would be interested to know what is it's frequency? Is it always the same? If no, which frequencies are more disturbing?

I dunno how to identify a frequency. How would I do do it? Some background: I hear weird noises like this article describes when it's absolutely quiet. It usually happens when I'm trying to sleep, and drives me insane. I leave the fan on all night to stop it. I've overheated many fans to useless already. kingpin388 21:31, 23 March 2006 (UTC-5)

When you are diagnosed usually there is a test when you have to compare the sound you hear to various frequency sine waves or white noise. (Boborrok 06:26, 11 May 2006 (UTC))

For me it's about the sound of an electron gun in a CRT. I have had some variation, but that is unusual for me.

This American Life has featured a story with Nubar Alexanian and he described the frequency as a "C" and a "D flat" [1] (tyger 19:06, 3 November 2006 (UTC))

I suffer from "mild" tinnitus if there's such a thing and I constantly hear a very hifreq noise. It reminds somehow of a electric fan like those used in computers but only much more higher frequency. It's not entirely white noise but it's close. Also it's not a pulse sound but rather a sinus like waveform (why I have no idea). Luckily my tinnitus is not loud and also if I open my mouth wide some times or massage my ear I can sometime manage to make it even siltenter. Myself I'm curious if tinnitus can be related to colesterol or fat particles in the bloodstream that almost seals the bloodstream around some vital part of the ear.

One good thing that should be pointed out in the article is that if tinnitus is like white noise the brain is usualy very good at ignoring / mapping it out. Imagine wind or the sound form a river. If it's not that loud the brain will after some time make you forget the fact that you are listening to white noise. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 80.213.169.193 (talk) 15:55, 23 December 2006 (UTC).

I hear the sound of many propeller airplanes. Just like watching old war movies, when the B52 bombers are approaching...It's that low droning sound from far away. The droning sounds come in waves, equal to my heartbeat. We live near an airforce base, but my wife doesn't hear a thing..nor are there propellered planes--mostly F-18s (definately a different sound!!)

Treatment section - possible copyvio

Several of the phrases in this section appear to be lifted directly from http://www.tinnituscure.info/Intro-to-Tinnitus.php. Anyone want to paraphrase it? - Gobeirne 19:29, 22 May 2006 (UTC)

Gallery of Images of The Who

I placed these images in because Pete Townshend, the guitarist, is a famous sufferer of Tinnitus. The gallery of images is a record of the moment when it was caused - in 1967 during a TV performance when an explosive device detonated directly in front of him. --One Salient Oversight 11:24, 6 June 2006 (UTC)

• What about this recent entry on Pete's own blog: http://www.petetownshend.co.uk/diary/display.cfm?id=231&zone=diary, where he writes: "But today, this very morning, after a night in the studio trying to crack a difficult song demo, I wake up realizing again - reminding myself, and feeling the need to remind the world - that my own particular kind of damage was caused by using earphones in the recording studio, not playing loud on stage. My ears are ringing, loudly. This rarely happens after a live show, unless the Who play a small club. This is a peculiar hazard of the recording studio. The point I'm making is that it is not live sound that causes hearing damage. Earphones do the most damage." Based on this, I'd say the gallery of who images should be placed on the Sensorineural hearing loss page instead. - Gobeirne 14:46, 6 June 2006 (UTC)

The only images that would be suitable on this page would be a diagram of the ear showing how the hairs are damaged and this sends the tinnius sound to the brain. Photographs of an explosion that caused tinnitus is not directly relevant to tinnitus itself, since thousands of explosions have caused tinnitus in thousands of people. I see no reason why the readers eyes should be drawn to pictures of Pete, especially when this page may be visited by people who have just recently developed tinnitus and pictures of Pete will do nothing to inform them of what tinnitus is. At best, a list of 'famous people' with tinnitus could be created on the page with external links. APB 11th June 2006.

• Agreed - Gobeirne 19:16, 11 June 2006 (UTC)

Suffering Tinnitus after a concert?

I know I am, but after reading http://ask.metafilter.com/mefi/18215 it put some of my worries at rest, unlike this wikipedia article which doesnt say that single concert encounters will most likely not bring permanent tinnitus.

Wear Earplugs, i know i will in future.

FYI: One loud sound is enough to break the hairs that sense sound in your ear and the damage is done. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 80.213.169.193 (talk) 15:58, 23 December 2006 (UTC).

203.122.199.200 17:23, 3 July 2006 (UTC)

Mediation concerning Tinnitus-Aspartame link

I have accepted this case in response to a mediation request made here. I come to this case with no prior opinion on the supposed connection between tinnitus and aspartame, no prior involvement with the article in question, and without knowing or having conversed with any of the editors involved in the dispute. Mediation services provided by the Mediation Cabal and the editors who take on case requests are an informal mediation alternative, and the opinions I express are in no way binding. My job is to help the disputing editors (listed as Likeitsmyjob and BigMar992) and other interested editors build consensus concerning the disputed content, and to direct editors' attention to relevant Wikipedia standards and policies toward that end.

To avert an endless revert war, I suggest that the editors leave the disputed section of the listed causes as is while we try to work toward consensus (aspartame poisoning is currently listed as a cause of tinnitus). A dispute tag or citation needed tag might be appropriate, but please retain aspartame as an item in the list until consensus has been reached.

At this stage, I am soliciting comments from the concerned parties regarding the nature of the dispute and ideas about how it might be resolved. I ask that editors make comments under their own heading, listed below. Also, please remember to keep it civil and refrain from personal attacks or accusations of bad faith. We're all here to make Wikipedia better, even if we have different opinions on how best to do that. Thank you. Rohirok 02:43, 31 July 2006 (UTC)

Comments by Likeitsmyjob

I have scoured Google and various journal databases, and have not found one sound scientific link between aspartame and tinnitus. Every claim is alleged. The sites that BigMar992 has cited as reliable sources simply allude to and claim that there is a link, but fail to provide sources for their information. Just because people claim to suffer symptoms such as tinnitus after consuming aspartame, doesn't make it scientific fact. See Wikipedia:Reliable_sources#Cite_peer-reviewed_scientific_publications_and_check_community_consensus.Jesse 02:59, 31 July 2006 (UTC)

Sounds like a fair approach to me. Thanks. Jesse 03:50, 2 August 2006 (UTC)

I agree with everything. I'll be checking for sources for the other causes when I get a spare chance... BTW, BigMar992, that article isn't peer-reviewed. It's only considered peer-reviewed when it's published in a scientific journal. That article [on the bottom] states that it's distributed by an aspartame poisoning organization. But, yes. It's a fair resolution. Jesse 00:48, 4 August 2006 (UTC)

Comments by BigMar992

I will be searching through The Ohio State University's journal libraries in the next few days to see if I can come up with any science based relation. BigMar992 19:54, 31 July 2006 (UTC)

In the mean time, read this article http://www.bio.net/hypermail/audiology/1995-September/000591.html It explains how the FDA has linked aspartame to tinnitus (ringing ears), and it also explains "...Dr. H. J. Roberts who is considered the world expert on aspartame....has written books on the subject and many publications that were published in peer review journals" has come to the conclusion that aspartame can and does cause tinnitus. This is on the first page of a 'aspartame tinnitus' google search. BigMar992 20:20, 31 July 2006 (UTC)

Rohirok, the only problem with your response, is that I have failed to find scientific, peer-reviewed sources for a few of those causes listed for tinnitus (such as impacted wisdom teeth). However, I have not looked at every page of every website listed on the tinnitus page. I have contacted a few people and I'm waiting for their responses (on the aspartame issue).

Rohirok - If I'm understanding you correctly, you are willing to take out entries such as 'impacted wisdom teeth', etc, that do NOT have peer-reviewed scientific articles? Will you be sorting through all of the causes? I will not, because that is not my concern at the moment. I am only concerned with the aspartame issue. I was merely trying to make a parallel in my defense. It just seems unfair if, indeed, some of the tinnitus causes are allowed to stay on the page when they have no peer-reviewed scientific sources (as aspartame currently lacks, albeit I believe the information I've found thus far is good enough). However, I understand it is not within wikipedia standards. Thank you for your prompt responses.

Rohirok - That sounds completely fair. Does that mean all of the causes will be off of the main page? Just curious. As long as aspartame is treated just like any other cause (that doesn't have peer-reviewed scientific referencing), I am happy. And I will continue to pursue the addition of aspartame poisoning by finding such references. BigMar992 04:44, 3 August 2006 (UTC)

Also, I have found a peer-reviewed article (which I initially believed was such, however now I am not so sure) at http://www.aspartame.ca/epidemic-s3.pdf that shows 12% of 1200 people complained of tinnitus (ringing or buzzing of the ears). I would think that this is enough evidence to add it to the list. Is it likely to deduce from this evidence that aspartame poisoning will cause tinnitus? No...but is it possible? Absolutely.

Comments by Rohirok (mediator)

Thankyou for your comments, BigMar992 and Jesse. Correct me if I'm wrong, but it looks like you two do agree on at least a couple key things here. Jesse doubts the claim of a tinnitus-aspartame link and is asking for a reference from a peer-reviewed scientific source to support it. This seems to be consistent with Wikipedia guidelines, according to the link that Jesse has provided. And BigMar992 has agreed to look for such a reference. It also looks like BigMar992 has agreed not to use a source such as the forum entry he found on Google, even though he does believe the content posted there is true. I believe this is consistent with policies concerning bulletin boards and similar online media. Are we on the same page so far?

Assuming we pretty much agree on the above, I wonder if we can also agree on the application of the policy concerning verifiability. This policy states that:

1. Articles should contain only material that has been published by reputable sources. 2. Editors adding new material to an article should cite a reputable source, or it may be removed by any editor. 3. The obligation to provide a reputable source lies with the editors wishing to include the material, not on those seeking to remove it.

With this policy in mind, can we agree that, until BigMar992 finds a peer-reviewed scientific source confirming a link between aspartame and tinnitus, aspartame ought to be removed from the list of causes of tinnitus? And can we also agree that, if BigMar992 does find such a peer-reviewed scientific source confirming a link, then aspartame ought to be included in the list, along with a citation? Does this sound fair? Rohirok 01:18, 1 August 2006 (UTC)

BigMar992 wrote: "the only problem with your response, is that I have failed to find scientific, peer-reviewed sources for a few of those causes listed for tinnitus (such as impacted wisdom teeth)." Whatever verifiability policies that apply to the aspartame entry of the list apply equally to other entries. I understand that you are actively trying to find proper verification for these entries. Of course, you are entitled to make every effort to accomplish this. However, in light of the possibility that proper verification might not be forthcoming in the near future for certain disputed entries, can we agree to remove these from the list, as they are at the present time unverified. Such entries could easily be listed on this talk page while the search is ongoing, and then restored to the article if and when verification is found. Does this sound like a fair approach to you? Rohirok 01:56, 2 August 2006 (UTC)

BigMar992: I won't be sorting through any of the entries and removing them, because I think it's usually not a good idea for a mediator to edit the content of an article while a mediation is taking place. You raise a good point about the other entries being unsourced. They really ought to be sourced, and if no proper sources are found for any of the entries, they ought to be removed too.

In the interest of fairness, then, how about if you two agree to do this: Since none of the material is currently referenced, can you two agree to place an {{unreferenced}} tag at the top of page, then cut and paste the entire list of causes to the talk page and ask that references be found for them? As references are found for a particular cause, it can then be moved back to the article along with its reference. I've had experience doing a similar thing with a similar case (List of agnostics), which had previously been very poorly sourced, and had a lot of dubious entries. No one has to worry about checking for sources for all the alleged causes at this point. By Wikipedia standards, a partial list of reliably sourced causes would be better than a complete list of entirely unsourced causes. Let me know what you think. Rohirok 01:28, 3 August 2006 (UTC)

I am pleased that consensus could be reached. Thank you both for your sober and thoughtful input. It has been a pleasure to mediate. Rohirok 01:22, 4 August 2006 (UTC)

I accessed this article on 31 August, and was dismayed by the lack of discussion of causes (with the exception of a few dubious unreferenced psychological ideas). I think part of the problem is that the policy above calls for reputable sources, while the mediation below calls for peer-reviewed sources. There are many reputable governmental and non-governmental agency Web sites dealing with tinnitus whose lists of causes could easily be adapted for the article by any editor, but which are not peer-reviewed sources. I think that the latter requirement is too strict for Wikipedia, given that the academic world doesn't recognize it as a peer-reviewed source anyway. Mike Serfas 16:28, 31 August 2006 (UTC)

The problem with reputable sources is that reputable is a subjective concept. I personally do not find all these "natural health" websites that cite aspartame poisoning as a cause of tinnitus reputable, from a strictly scientific standpoint, because there is nothing but anecdotal evidence to support this. The need for a peer-reviewed source is necessary, in my opinion, in a case like this. If you're going to say, "aspartame causes tinnitus", you need to have reliable (i.e., not biased, not misinterpreted) scientific evidence to back such a claim. Otherwise, a statement like, "Some people claim that the consumption of aspartame is linked to the development of tinnitus. [2]" is more appropriate. And on the requirement being too strict for Wikipedia, I strongly disagree. First of all, it was an informal mediation; nothing is set in stone and the decision is subject to exception. Second, Wikipedia is not an outlet for people to summarize the contents of material published by agencies and state them as fact. Rather, it should reflect and present the general consensus about a topic, while citing sources. If it is to posit that a statement is true, sources from experts on the subject (here, the medical community) are necessary. Whether or not academia accepts Wikipedia as a peer-reviewed source should not undermine its reliability. Jesse 04:40, 1 September 2006 (UTC)

I understand the problem, but I don't think that this is the solution. Consider that in 1997 the author whose pdf is cited above, HJ Roberts, authored an article on "Aspartame and brain cancer" in the Lancet.[3] Ordinarily, it is acceptable to cite a book by an academic author in the bibliography of a peer reviewed article, and hence to state his conclusion as a known fact in the introduction or discussion sections of such an article - even though a book may not technically be subject to the same peer-review process as a journal article. The .pdf claims that 12% of the first 1200 persons in a database reporting abnormal reactions from aspartame listed tinnitus as a symptom, and references "Roberts HJ. Aspartame Disease: An Ignored Epidemic West Palm Beach, Sunshine Sentinel Press, 2001. (www.sunsentpress.com)" Now, you can argue that that publisher might not as impressive as Oxford University Press would be, but if there's a definitive table of reliable academic publishers somewhere I know I haven't ever actually used it. More to the point, peer reviewed journals often publish dubious conclusions, and conversely, I don't believe Roberts is lying about what he says.

What you need to do is ask an entirely different question: do reports of adverse reactions qualify as a scientific study proving that aspartame causes tinnitus? If 12% of people reporting adverse reactions to aspartame say they have problem tinnitus that isn't much different from the general population! Even if some people say that they notice that every time they drink Diet Coke they have ear ringing, it might be caused by caffeine. If you believe aspartame causes some kind of neurologic injury, tinnitus could be a symptom, but in the pdf referenced HJ Roberts never wrote a single sentence saying that aspartame caused tinnitus - it was simply one line in a table of data. (Roberts is quoted elsewhere in the Tinnitus FAQ as saying he recommends patients with tinnitus try giving up aspartame, but that is not the same as saying he has proof) Even if this same .pdf were actually a peer reviewed article in Acta Otolaryngologica, it wouldn't matter to me - what I want to see, to begin with, is a double-blind or at least a blind study showing that aspartame causes tinnitus or hearing loss or some related phenomenon, even transiently, or at least an article where the author actually says that aspartame causes tinnitus. But that's a different issue.

In summary, I don't think that demanding peer review really changes much - except for making it more difficult for casual contributors to add information that they read in newspaper articles or on medical Web sites. Peer review is a good thing to demand from scientists, who are actually supposed to have gone back and looked at all the data and second-guessed the previous experimental designs, but Wikipedia should be open to receive new data from non-scientists as well. Besides, if there are scientists reading an entry, then the claims in the entry are peer-reviewed ... when debates like this come up and the experts go back and read the disputed data carefully. Whether it's Wikipedia or a private publisher, peer review never involves anything more than that. Mike Serfas 22:13, 2 September 2006 (UTC)

Alleged causes of tinnitus: Please find references.

Following informal mediation concerning a disputed cause (see above), the list of alleged causes for tinnitus has been moved here pending verification. Please do not put any of these causes back into the article without providing a reference from a peer-reviewed scientific publication. Information lacking a proper reference may be deleted, in accordance with Wikipedia policy concerning verifiability. If you do find a reference for a cause and put it back into the article, please strike (<s>strike</s>) it from the list below. Thank you. Rohirok 01:22, 4 August 2006 (UTC)

• A sudden loud noise such as an explosion or a jet engine exhaust
• Prolonged exposure to environmental noise, including loud music through PA systems (in nightclubs or at concerts) and personal stereos, noisy work environment without ear protection, (eg industrial, motorsport)
• Hearing loss (20 per cent of cases: chronic noise damage and presbycusis)
• Head injury (especially [[basal skull fracture]])
• Drugs: aspirin overdose, loop diuretics, aminoglycosides, quinine, welbutrin, opioids
• Temporomandibular and cervical spine disorders
• Suppurative otitis media (also chronic infection and serous OM)
• Otosclerosis
• Earwax
• Ménière’s disease
• Impacted wisdom teeth
• Hypertension and atherosclerosis
• Acoustic neuroma
• Palatal myoclonus (objectively detectable)
• Arteriovenous fistulae and arterial bruits (objectively detectable)
• Severe anemia and renal failure
• Glomus jugulare tumours (objectively detectable)
• Lyme Disease
• Stress and depression
• Thyroid disorders, such as hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism
• Secretory otitis media (an ear infection often known as 'glue ear') in children
• Fluid in the ear
• Eardrum perforation
• Aspartame poisoning

Note: I deleted additional text that appeared to violate this agreement (reproduced below), and substituted the section with a list from the abstract of an AFP article. Upon consideration, I think I'll raid the article to add several more levels of detail to the list - it's a well written free fulltext peer reviewed article from 2004.[4]

"In most cases, tinnitus is a phenomenon of the cochlea, auditory nerve, or other elements of the nervous system. An increasing number of young people are developing tinnitus; as a result, it is sometimes referred to as "the club disease" as many people experience tinnitus or "ringing ears" after attending loud clubs or concerts or using personal stereos at unsafe volumes. Tinnitus has been attributed to a number of other causes.

Tinnitus can also be exacerbated by severe emotional or physical stress and brought on by loud noises (especially when heard in an otherwise quiet environment) and by physical damage occurring to the eardrum, cochlea or nerve."

Mike Serfas 04:54, 1 September 2006 (UTC)

Just a short comment to the frequencies of tinnitus. In my case is fluctuating from almost normal hearing to almost no hearing at all. Stress seems to trigger most of the deafness. I will send you the frequencies when I get hold of the copy. Someone suggested to raise the level of serotonin could improve my hearing. Hearing aids are usually useless as they amplify all noises and thus speech recognition is still impaired. Paul paul.foss@aoe-solutions.com

203.149.83.193 10:05, 7 January 2007 (UTC)

Add website?

Would it be appropriate to add this link to the external links section?

http://www.umm.edu/tinnitus/

Wspencer11 (talk to me...) 20:04, 18 August 2006 (UTC)

I don't think so. It's more an advertisement for the hospital than a source of viable information about tinnitus. Jesse 02:30, 21 August 2006 (UTC)

Circulatory causes?

I suspect tinnitus can be caused by problems within the capillaries of the cochlea (from my own experience), in connection with the consumption of coffee or things which dilate and constrict capillaries, and high serum cholesterol, possibly causing atherosclerosis. Also, neurological causes may be connected with diet, including vitamin (particularly B-vitamin) deficiencies, hypervitaminoses A and D, xanthines and alkaloids, and various food sensitivities. D021317c 13:24, 9 February 2007 (UTC)

Supposed cure?

I have read a couple of times in recent months that the Austrian pianist Till Fellner withdrew from performing because of tinnitus; he apparently received treatment of some kind and has since returned to the stage. Can anyone confirm this, and especially what the treaatment was? --Wspencer11 (talk to me...) 13:37, 23 February 2007 (UTC)

Some sort of steroid shot in the ear can alleviate some tinnitus awa vertigo [[TheAngriestPharmacist]] 03:41, 12 May 2007 (UTC)

==

It seems a pity that there is a huge concentration here on 'damage to hearing ', no mention of the extensive information on the influence of central auditory, and extra auditory pathways and the fact that the reaction to tinnitus (nothing to do with the ear) is responsible not only for its unpleasant symptoms, but also for the enhanced perception of tinnitus itself and its characteristics. It is worth having a look at www.tinnitus.org and Jastreboff's work. Therein lies the best solution yet. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 81.77.199.76 (talk • contribs)

So far, temporary relief to pulsatile tinnitus

I first noticed pulsatile tinnitus about a year ago, only when I go to bed. Well, a few months back, I was fed up with having it and thought that maybe there was some kind of settlement causing it. So, I tried a shoulder stand with me feet up in the air for about 10 seconds. That night I had no problem and it stayed away for some time. I don't remember when, but it came back so I did the shoulder stand again and it went away.

I understand articles should reference their sources so I don't know how to include this. Maybe it is coincidence too. Thus, here it is for others to read. If you have pulsatile tinnitus and you get relief, add your experience to this section. Hopefully, this truly works and eventually leads to full recovery. Also, someone might be inspired to study it and then provide us with a reference.Mbubel 02:37, 8 June 2007 (UTC)

Flyback transformer

"in some patients it takes the form of a high pitched whining (cf. flyback transformer)". As far as I can tell, the relevance of flyback transformer to this article is nonexistent, or at best extremely tenuous. Therefore, removing from article. Please discuss here before replacing. -- 201.19.75.173 13:14, 20 October 2007 (UTC)

Well, I'm not going to add that back nor did I add it to begin with. However, the statement is correct. I hear it all the time. --BlindEagle^{talk~contribs} 20:53, 5 November 2007 (UTC)

Ever heard of "ear music"? Is this like tinnitus?

I was talking to a person who deals with those with hearing loss. They mentioned something I think she called "ear music," where one hears a faint sound like it's a radio in another room or something, when it's really quiet. I had never heard of this. I've had the audible sensations of hypnagogia at rare times, though not the paralysis, but she says this is something different she is talking about, not hypnagogia. Should this be included as part of tinnitus; it does sound similar, except it doesn't happena ll the time; she said it's as if the ear nerve says "there should be a sound here," almost like a person with phantom limb might still "feel" that limb.Somebody or his brother 19:11, 5 November 2007 (UTC)

I saw this over at the Science reference desk and replied. Thought I'd copy the text over here, since reference desk responses get archived away so quickly. Hope no one minds:

You might be interested in Oliver Sacks newest book, Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain, which devotes a whole chapter to this topic. It is apparently a lot more common than once thought, especially among the hearing impaired. Sacks calls it musical or aural "hallucination", while noting that some people object to the word "hallucination".

(later addition) I skimmed the chapter this morning for a bit more specificity. It's chapter 6, titled "Musical Hallucinations". Some of the things Sacks says about it -- musical hallucinations were once thought rare and perhaps associated with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE), but in recent years it has been recognized as more common and only rarely associated with TLE. Musical hallucination is not a psychosis, not "mental illness"; rather it is "real", "physiological", and benign. Sacks stresses this point -- some people have suggested a similarity between musical hallucinations, "hearing music", and schizophrenic "hearing voices", but Sacks shows how very different the two are, both physically in the brain and in the way they are experienced. Musical hallucinations can take many forms, but common aspects include: hearing music "for real", not just "in your head"; often associated with hearing loss and "emerging" from humming and buzzing type noises (eg, humming refrigerator, tinnitus, etc); more common in the elderly but can occur at any age; when caused by something like a stroke, tends to die away with recovery, otherwise musical hallucinations tend to be "very persistent" and "chronic". Some of the striking differences mentioned: for some people the music is hear very loudly, while for others it is soft and vague. For some it can be very annoying and even intrusively disruptive, while for others it can be pleasant and easily ignored. For some the music tends to be "whole pieces" or at least whole melodies, while for others the music "fragments" into tiny bits that skippingly repeat endlessly. Most people cannot control it, but some are able to "direct" it to some degree. It is not very well understood, neurologically. There is no cure. People for whom it is life-disrupting, a doctor might be able to find ways to reduce its strength. Sacks writes that of the people he knows of who have musical hallucinations, about 80% also have some kind of hearing impairment. Also, of all people with hearing impairment, about 2% develop musical hallucinations. There's lots more in the book, and as always Sacks writes very engagingly. Pfly 20:05, 10 November 2007 (UTC)

Picture of books

After reading the page, I don't feel that the picture located towards the top "Books on tinnitus" adds anything to the article. I don't want to remove it yet in case someone can provide a good explanation of what the picture adds to the article. Fbarton (talk) 15:11, 25 November 2007 (UTC)