TRANSMEATAL LOW-POWER LASER IRRADIATION FOR TINNITUS
Transmeatal low-power laser irradiation is a treatment that is designed to treat tinnitus or relive some of the symptoms of tinnitus depending on the individual’s case. The process involves laser treatment which takes place once a week, over a four week period or more, depending again on the individual’s case at hand.
Transmeatal cochlear laser treatment, TCL as it is also known, is a therapeutic procedure used in the treatment of cochlear dysfunction conditions such as:
- Chronic cochlear tinnitus
- Sensorineural hearing loss
Light controlled dosimetric studies taken on human temporal bones have however demonstrated that the effectiveness of this treatment depends on the position within the auditory metus.
The novel laser TCL-system which consists of four diode lasers was developed and has been proved to have therapeutic effectiveness in conditions with acute and chronic cochlear dysfunction, but with this said it is not safe to say that TCL would treat all patients that suffer with tinnitus. It all relies upon the individual’s body and how well it reacts or responds to the treatment in question. This method deals mostly with the individuals nerve endings in the external ear and does not touch base with the underlying causes of the Tinnitus condition.
Procedure
There are two types of lasers:
- Placebo lasers are lasers that do not have any effect on the body. They work with a persons mind and the mind tends to heal the body rather than the laser.
- Active lasers are lasers that actively treat the condition that needs treatment under a supervised eye and supervised application.
A laser stimulation device gets placed onto the tympanic membrane of both ears, as one or both of the ears could be affected by tinnitus.
What is the difference between a Placebo Laser and a Active Laser?
Studies indicate that there is no difference observed between patients that came into contact with the active lasers or patients that come into contact with placebo laser.
It was also found that the placebo laser had made no significant improvement in treating the condition of tinnitus (loudness, pitch or tone of noise).
Alternatives to Transmeatal Cochlear Laser Treatment
- Should the individual not opt for Transmeatal Cochlear Laser Treatment, he or she use make use of tinnitus maskers which cover up the ringing, hissing or buzzing sound that the individual is experiencing.
- Tinnitus can sometimes be classed as subjective and will usually stop on its own.
- Counseling is also considered in some cases. Tinnitus Retraining is a counseling method, whereas behavioral retraining is where the patient is retrained to be unaware of the tinnitus condition.
In conclusion, Transmeatal Cochlear Laser Treatment has not been sufficiently studied to identify if it can give the tinnitus suffer the effective “buzz “ free lifestyle and environment that he or she anxiously awaits. |
