New Therapy Tinnitus: Headphone That Turns Voice From One Ear To Another

Illustration of headphones usage (photo: Doc. pexels)

JAKARTA - A recent innovation in tinnitus treatment has emerged with the use of headphones capable of turning sounds from one ear to another. Tinnitus, which affects about five million people in the UK, can experience a significant decline through this approach.

This method refers to mirror therapy used for fantom limb pain. When the sound comes from the right side of the user, the microphone on the headphones will capture it and direct it to the left ear, and vice versa.

Researchers believe that by disrupting the direction of sound, where the eyes signal to the brain that the sound comes from one place but the ear signals the opposite, helping to "reprogram" the hearing nerve. This can reduce the intensity of the tinnitus.

The results of a small trial conducted show that the use of headsets for two hours a day for three weeks can significantly reduce tinnitus. The method offers new hope for those suffering from long-term tinnitures that are often accompanied by hearing loss.

Tinnitus occurs when small hair cells in the inner ear experience stress and emit more chemicals called glutamate. This condition causes a "gluat storm" that triggers nerves in the inner ear. By "attributing" the attention of the hearing nerve, this method can reduce perceptions of the tinnitus.

Dr. Will Sedley, a neurology lecturer at Newcastle University, welcomed this therapy, although he stressed the need for further trial results. While speech therapy remains an effective choice for many people suffering from tinnitus.

Thus, headphones capable of turning sounds from one ear to another offer attractive potential solutions to defuse the tinnitus, although more research needs to be done to validate its effectiveness.