Tinnitus Talk

What is the current state of evidence in favour or against tinnitus treatments on the market? Which treatments have been thoroughly tested and which require more testing? What should doctors and patients learn from this? And how should this inform new tinnitus research? These are all questions answered in this episode!

Tinnitus Talk spoke with Rilana Cima and Derek Hoare, two of the co-authors of the European Clinical Practice Guidelines for Tinnitus, which were published earlier this year. Clinical Guidelines are recommendations for healthcare professionals on how to diagnose and treat a medical condition, based on currently available evidence.

The episode makes clear that the vast majority of treatments currently on the market have not been sufficiently studied to tell one way or the other how effective and safe they are. There is a dire lack of thorough clinical trial data available, which severely hinders clinical management of tinnitus. Doctors are often not aware of different treatment options, and patients have to find their own way through the system.

If you are currently seeking medical treatment for tinnitus, make sure you are aware of any relevant Clinical Guidelines.

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What are stem cells and how can stem cells treat hearing loss? What’s going on with human trials for hearing regeneration? When can we expected new treatments on the market? And will regenerating hearing resolve tinnitus? These kinds of questions will be answered in this podcast!

Tinnitus Talk spoke with Marcelo Rivolta, professor of Sensory Stem Cell Biology at the University of Sheffield. He explains the basic concepts of stem cells and the different approaches to hearing regeneration. It’s fascinating science, but there are a number of roadblocks to be cleared before patients can benefit.

Marcelo also announces that he received a research grant and used it to start a biotechnology company called Rinri. If you want to stay up to date with the progress of Rinri, please visit https://rinri-therapeutics.com.

The interview with Marcelo was conducted by Steve Harrison (Tinnitus Talk) and David Stockdale (British Tinnitus Association). As added bonus material at the end, Hazel and Markku discuss the Tinnitus Talk podcast ‘behind the scenes.’

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How can clinicians and patients work together? Why is tinnitus sub-typing important? Does loudness matter? What does habituation really mean? What different forms of counselling and treatment are available for tinnitus? These are some of the questions addressed in this episode.

Tinnitus Talk spoke with Richard Tyler, from the University of Iowa. His career in tinnitus spans many decades. He has vast experience in both tinnitus research and patient care and is passionate about connecting those two worlds.

Richard also talks about the annual conference on tinnitus management that he is organising this year for the 27th time in Iowa. The conference is open to patients.

Become a Tinnitus Talk Podcast Patron at https://moretinnitustalk.com for bonus content, video interviews, Ask an Expert series, and more!

How do musicians deal with the fact that they are especially prone to getting tinnitus? Is there enough awareness on this? These are some of the questions addressed in this episode. 

Tinnitus Talk spoke with CJ Wildheart, professional rock musician with tinnitus, and guitarist for The Wildhearts. He talks candidly about how live and loud playing for many years caused his tinnitus, how this has affected his musical career, and the care he now takes to protect his ears. 

We were lucky to have Ed (known as Ed209 on the Tinnitus Talk support forum) arrange and conduct the interview with CJ. Ed is himself a professional music teacher, and in the second half of this episode, our podcast host Sean spoke with him about his personal experiences, musicians and tinnitus, and questions around noise protection. 

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Tinnitus Talk spoke with David Stockdale, the chief executive of the British Tinnitus Association (BTA). We’re very excited to have David on for episode 2 of our podcast series!

David frequently visits TinnitusTalk.com and engages with the tinnitus community through us and other channels. His dedication and drive to represent the needs of the community clearly shines through in this interview.

David talks about his drive to accomplish the BTA’s vision: “A world where no one suffers from tinnitus.” We also addressed questions like: How can tinnitus associations move the research field forward? How do they convey the tinnitus experience to the broader public? What are the pros and cons of promoting certain treatments?

Become a Tinnitus Talk Podcast Patron at https://moretinnitustalk.com for bonus content, video interviews, Ask an Expert series, and more!

Tinnitus Talk spoke with Dr. Rauschecker, one of most eminent researchers on tinnitus. We’re excited to launch our podcast series with this highly engaging interview, a must for anyone who wants to understand how tinnitus works in the brain and how we can get to a cure.

The interview covers a range of topics, from Dr. Rauschecker’s own experience with tinnitus to his theories on how tinnitus manifests in the brain and links with other brain disorders like depression. We also talked about the dire lack of funding for (cure focused) tinnitus research, and the role that patient communities can play in resolving this.

Become a Tinnitus Talk Podcast Patron at https://moretinnitustalk.com for bonus content, video interviews, Ask an Expert series, and more!