Illnesses and disabilities
Deafness and tinnitus
Category: Illness or disabilaties
Type
Involuntary
Introduction and description
Deafness and Hearing loss, also known as hearing impairment, is a partial or total inability to hear. A deaf person has little to no hearing. Hearing loss may occur in one or both ears. It can be temporary or permanent depending on the cause.
Hearing loss is diagnosed when hearing testing finds that a person is unable to hear 25 decibels in at least one ear and is categorised as mild, moderate, severe, or profound.
Tinnitus from the Latin word tinitus meaning "ringing") is the perception of sound within the human ear in the absence of corresponding external sound. Tinnitus can be perceived in one or both ears or in the head. It is usually described as a ringing noise, but in some patients, it takes the form of a high-pitched whining, electric buzzing, hissing, humming, tinging or whistling sound, or as ticking, clicking, roaring, "crickets" or "tree frogs" or "locusts (cicadas)", tunes, songs, beeping, or even a pure steady tone like that heard during a hearing test. It has also been described as a "wooshing" sound, as of wind or waves. Tinnitus can be intermittent, or it can be continuous, in which case it can be the cause of great distress.
Tinnitus is common; about one in five people between 55 and 65 years old report symptoms on a general health questionnaire, and 11.8% on more detailed tinnitus-specific questionnaires. While most discussions of tinnitus tend to emphasize physical mechanisms, there is strong evidence that awareness of tinnitus can be stress-related. Persistent tinnitus may cause irritability, fatigue, and on occasions clinical depression.
It can also grow into much more complex auditory hallucinations.
Most people with tinnitus have some degree of hearing loss in that they are often unable to clearly hear external sounds that occur within the same range of frequencies as their "phantom sounds". In essence therefore tinnitus is just a symptom of hearing loss which is why I have grouped various forms of deafness within this section.
Sensory deprivation can be caused by damage to various parts of the brain or the nervous system. Damage to the eye or damage to the optic nerve or sight processing areas of the brain, for example, can cause hallucinations of a visionary sort. The absence of any signal from the organ or from the function of sight caused the perception system to seek images from elsewhere.
And damage to the hearing or to the part of the brain that processes the function of hearing causes auditory hallucinations.
The Effects of Deafness and Tinnitus compared
We have listed the pathogens and events that may cause damage to the parts of the brain dealing with hearing below. But here we take a look at the effects - the ringing noises or auditory hallucinations. Remember that the effects are caused by damage to the inner or outer ear which produces a form of sensory deprivation. Thus all hearing loss is the result of damage to the organs of hearing.
There are two distinct categories of tinnitus: otic tinnitus, caused by disorders and damage of the inner ear or the acoustic nerve, and somatic tinnitus, caused by disorders or damage outside the ear and nerve, but still within the head or neck. Deafness can also be the result of the same sorts of damage.
Within these two categories all sorts of parts can get damaged. For example, the inner ear contains thousands of minute hairs, called stereocilia, which vibrate in response to sound waves, and cells which convert neural signals into tension on the vibrating basement membrane. There is evidence that in some cases these are damaged – particularly by loud noise. Receptor cells can be damaged. All this is interesting but not really relevant.
What is key is that there is damage and the damage results in an inability to hear various frequencies, ranging from only a tiny number to quite a large swathe of frequencies.
There seems to be a general belief that the tinnitus sounds are ‘real’ sound produced by organ malfunction. So somehow those who believe in this hypothesis think that somehow there must be some kind of organ that can reproduce sounds.
But I think they are wrong. Tinnitus is an hallucination. People with tinnitus have hearing loss and the frequencies they cannot hear are similar to the subjective frequencies of their tinnitus. The greater the hearing loss, the greater the range of frequencies that are heard until eventually quite complex sounds are heard, which leads me to suspect that tinnitus is an unwanted auditory hallucination produced by the composer, who in this case is not being at all helpful!
Thus if we imagine for a moment the band of frequencies like this, then if a small band has been lost, what will be substituted in its place is an equivalent band of small but equivalent frequencies, but once the band of frequencies gets larger, all sorts of varied auditory hallucinations might be heard – we will see this in the examples.
Causes
Tinnitus and deafness are thus not diseases, but a symptom of damage to the organs of hearing. Thus although this damage is often not reversible, we need to find what things damage these organs, in order that we can prevent this happening to other people.
And just like all the other diseases and illnesses, we find the same type of pathogen can cause hearing loss and tinnitus as well - bacteria, fungi, viruses, heavy metals, other toxins such as pesticides and insecticides, parasites, radiation and so on are all implicated, so we will look at these in some mor detail.
Bacterial Infections - the following are just examples
- external, middle and inner ear bacterial infections
- lymes disease
- meningitis
- encephalitis
- mastoiditis
Prolonged exposure to Loud noise or sudden loud noise
- acoustic shock
- in ear headphones
- loud music
- explosion
- work related noise exposure
Pharmaceuticals - the list below is only a small selection, over 260 medications have been reported to cause tinnitus and deafness as a side effect.
In 2016, eHealthme completely reordered their site. This meant that every link we had provided to their data no longer worked. The links to eHealthme take you to their site but not the relevant section. Thus you can use the links in each section, but you will need to search under ‘symptoms’ and then use the section ‘drugs causing symptoms’ to get the information.
- NSAIDs, aspirin and analgesics:
- Antibiotics: of which examples include Ciprofloxacin, aminoglycosides e.g., gentamicin, chloramphenicol, erythromycin, tetracycline, tobramycin, vancomycin, doxycycline (Vibramycin)
- Chemotherapy and Antiviral drugs: examples include bleomycin, interferon, pegylated interferon-alpha-2b, cisplatin, mechlorethamine, methotrexate, vincristine
- Diuretics: for example bumetanide, ethacrynic acid and furosemide
- Taking drugs - Some psychedelic drugs can produce temporary tinnitus-like symptoms as a side effect. For example 5-MeO-DET and diisopropyltryptamine (DiPT)
- Benzodiazepines - particulalry withdrawal
- Parkinson's disease drugs
- Vaccines - for example anthrax vaccines which contain the anthrax protective antigen
- Anti-depressants and TCAs
- Anti-malarial drugs such as chloroquine and quinine
- Smoking addiction treatments such as Varenicline (Champix)
- The Erectile dysfunction medications Viagra, Levitra, and Cialis have also been reported to cause hearing loss
Earwax and blockages - particularly cerumen (earwax) impaction, although children can occasionally put things in their ears without adults realising it. Peas are a favourite, raisins appear to come next.
Electromagnetic radiation exposure - Mobile phones seemed to be implicated in some cases and exposure to magnetic or electrical fields at ear level. These same causes can result in deafness of a more profound nature
Toxins - heavy metals, pollution and various chemicals all cause deafness. 'Ototoxic chemicals', for example, can destroy the hair cells of the cochlea. For organic solvents such as Toluene, styrene or xylene, the combined exposure with noise increases the risk of hearing loss. Heavy metals [for example mercury poisoning or lead poisoning], asphyxiants and endocrine disruptors also have an effect.
Old age - called presbycusis (age-associated hearing loss)
Vitamin deficiency - particularly vitamin B12 deficiency
Mineral deficiency - particulalry iron, with the symptoms being anaemia
Metabolic disorders - for example Thyroid disease and Hyperlipidemia
Emotional overload - principally negative emotional overload over some time, for example, stress, anxiety , fear etc
Brain damage - various forms of brain damage for example brain tumours, head injuries, concussion, skull fractures, whiplash injuries and so on. People with multiple sclerosis [also a form of brain damage] may also suffer from deafness.
Sensorineural hearing loss after dull head injury or concussion trauma]. - Brusis T; Institut für Begutachtung, Köln.
A dull head injury can lead to isolated damage of the inner ear (cochlear labyrinthine concussion) or damage of the otolithe organ (vestibular labyrinthine concussion) due to a bone conduction pressure .
A typical sign is a high frequency SNHL in form of a c5-dip. The c5-dip can be bilateral or unilateral or different on each side - dependant on the side of injury. In case of a unilateral skull base fracture a contralateral labyrinthine concussion is also possible. Moreover a lot of cases also show an accompanying tinnitus. This knowledge is based on animal and human experiments, as well as data from clinical and medical report examinations over decades.
How it works
See the Model of spiritual experience and the generic description of How spiritual experience works to get more background to the following explanation.
Once input from the hearing system is reduced, the Composer [see Model] uses our Perceptions or perhaps sound from ‘elsewhere’ in the greater spiritual world to fill in the gap. The absence of the signal is the key. The absence – even in a very limited range, is the chance for the Composer to get a look in, because it rather mistakenly thinks you are dreaming and your hearing is no longer being used, - you are actually being subjected to a rather unpleasant waking dream, which because in most cases the range of frequencies is so small it is unable to make very interesting.
If you are very stressed, the underlying emotion and messages that will be there in your perceptions is one of stress, and the Composer, I am afraid, simply responds – ‘you want stress’ [it says] ‘I can give you stress BIG TIME!!!’
References and further reading
see also Neurologic adverse events following vaccination Prog Health Sci, 2012, Sienkiewicz D., Ku?ak W., Okurowska-Zawada B., Paszko-Patej G
Observations
In the following examples I have tried to mix temporary hearing loss causing complex hallucinations, with more permanent hearing loss causing permanent problems as well as example of tinnitus and its gradual change into more complex hallucinations.
RNID = Royal National Institute for the Deaf
Related observations
Healing observations
- Adams, Ryan - Helping cope with Meniere's disease 021277
- Amalgam fillings, tinnitus and heavy metal poisoning 012326
- Braid, James - Helping the deaf and dumb 002292
- Braid, James – Curing deafness using hypnotherapy 026218
- Cannabis and tinnitus 007992
- Cobalt Toxicity from Hip Replacement: Symptoms and Treatment 025373
- Crown Court Case worker - and the agony of amalgam fillings 012316
- Culpepper's Complete Herbal on Figs 012386
- Culpepper's Complete Herbal on the Holy Thistle 017218
- Dr Duke's list of chemicals and activity for the Shallot 017969
- Dr Duke's list of Plants with Antitinnitic activity 018434
- Dr Stephen Black - Curing Tinnitus with hypnotherapy, and Tinnitus as a psychosomatic illness 011915
- Effectiveness of Ericksonian hypnosis in tinnitus therapy: preliminary results 021284
- Experimental, controversial, and futuristic treatments for chronic tinnitus 021283
- Fabre d Olivet, Antoine - Heals a little deaf boy 015463
- Hack Tuke, Daniel – Healing - Inducing sensory deprivation as a consequence of suggestion only 026034
- Histamine, histidine and Meuniere's disease 019134
- Incidents in My Life - D D Home - Healing a deaf boy 024658
- Kanucas Littlefish - Native American Indians – Music heals 022293
- Prince Alexander of Hohenlohe - Cures Louis, Prince Royal the ex-King of Bavaria 026195
- Roller coaster restored his hearing 006482
- The Healing Power of Sleep 026790
- The Manuals of Taoist Sexual Practise – Talk on Supreme Guidance for the World 04 017856
- The Manuals of Taoist Sexual Practise – Ten Questions 09 017846
- The use of hypnosis in a deaf patient with multiple personality disorder 016814
- William Turner on the Holy Thistle 017217
Hallucination
- A Case of Auditory Hallucinations Due to Cerumen-Induced Transient Hearing Loss, Successfully Treated With Cerumenolysis, in a Patient With a Major Depressive Episode 023399
- A set of male monozygotic triplets with schizophrenic psychoses: nature or nurture? 023522
- Auditory dysfunction in patients with cerebrovascular disease 023396
- Auditory hallucinations in a deaf patient: a case report 019888
- Auld Lang syne 001336
- Bagpipes and washing machines 001337
- Cerumenex 018191
- Ciprodex 018207
- Cisplatin hallucinations 006923
- Clinical holistic medicine: the patient with multiple diseases 017906
- Cobalt poisoning and hip replacement 006878
- Cobalt poisoning from hip replacement 006876
- Do musical hallucinations always arise from the inner ear? 021281
- Feed the world 001338
- Hearing disorders in brainstem lesions 023394
- Hearing music without a left brain 006150
- Mattheson, Johann and celestial music 010212
- Minds on replay: musical hallucinations and their relationship to neurological disease 023393
- MrL Bugaut of Cork in Ireland sees his friend's French granny 011278
- Musical hallucinations and the right brain 006149
- Musical hallucinations and the right brain 006148
- Musical hallucinations from acquired deafness 006141
- Musical hallucinations in deafness 019945
- Musical hallucinations in the deaf 006138
- Musical hallucinations in the deaf depressed 006140
- Musical hallucinations in the elderly deaf 006139
- Musical hallucinations: 7 cases 029527
- Musical hallucinations: perpetual music 023398
- Neighbours Drilling through her wall 001339
- Oliver Sacks - Bing Crosby and White Christmas 001387
- Oliver Sacks - Congenitally deaf and the music of the universe 001341
- Oliver Sacks - Mrs O' C and the crystal radio 003694
- Oliver Sacks - Mrs O'M hears choirs singing 001340
- Oxaliplatin hallucinations 006924
- Schumann, Robert - Hearing one note played constantly 001909
- Temporomandibular joint dysfunction and tinnitus 006147
- The Hum 002277
- The mind with a radio of its own: a case report and review of the literature on the treatment of musical hallucinations 023397
- The use of hypnosis in a deaf patient with multiple personality disorder 016814
- Tinnitus and Superior canal dehiscence syndrome 006136
- Tumours, deafness and manic depression 006142
- Voices of childhood and hymns 006151
- Young girl hears musical hallucinations 006152
Wisdom, Inspiration, Divine love & Bliss
- Beethoven - 5th Symphony 001911
- Beethoven - Für Elise 001908
- Beethoven - The 6th Symphony - Pastoral 001407
- Beethoven - The Moonlight Sonata 001910
- Coleman, Lloyd - The deaf composer 001342
- Edison, Thomas - Genius is one per cent inspiration and ninety nine per cent perspiration 006332
- Father Bernabe Cobo - Inca Religion and Customs - The celebration of diversity 011750
- Goya, Francisco - The sleep of reason produces monsters 002618
- Mary Wells - My Guy 012469
- Smetana - Dreams 025226
- Smetana - Evening songs [small excert] 025225
- Smetana - Ma Vlast - Blaník 025220
- Smetana - Ma Vlast - Moldau 025215
- Smetana - Ma Vlast - Šárka 025217
- Smetana - Ma Vlast - Tábor 025219
- Smetana - Ma Vlast - Vyšehrad 025216
- Smetana - Ma Vlast - Z českých luhů a hájů 025218
- Smetana - String Quartet No 1 in E minor (From My Life) 025214
- Smetana - String Quartet No 2 in D minor 025224
- Smetana - The Czech dances 025228
- Smetana - The Kiss - A ty mé robe Hajej můj andílku 025223
- Smetana - The Kiss - Hajej, můj andílku 025222
- The Manuals of Taoist Sexual Practise – Talk on Supreme Guidance for the World 04 017856
- The Manuals of Taoist Sexual Practise – Ten Questions 09 017846
- Vaughan Williams - Flos Campi 006156
- Vaughan Williams - Symphony no 6 006157
- Vaughan Williams - English Folk Song Suite 012178
- Vaughan Williams - Fantasia on Greensleeves 012176
- Vaughan Williams - Job, a Masque for dancing (1931) 012179
- Vaughan Williams - Old King Cole 012177
- Vaughan Williams - Symphony no 5 006159
- Vaughan Williams - The lark ascending 003564
Out of time
- Croad, Mrs Carrie - Blindsight by reading other people’s minds 024280
- Croad, Mrs Carrie - The Testimony of the Nonconformist Minister Mr. J. G. Westlake - Blindsight and remote viewing 024281
- Deaf mute hears 002530
- Deaf-mute hears music from Paradise, which he called wonderful, and recovers from serious illness 027869
- Fancher, Mollie - At times I have seen around me, and around my friends who call to see me, the angel forms of those persons who are supposed to be dead 024266
- Fancher, Mollie - Blindsight and prophecy 024270
- Fancher, Mollie - Blindsight the tests 024272
- Fancher, Mollie - Blindsight when blindfolded and in the dark 024277
- Fancher, Mollie - For a period of about nine years, day and night, she was subject to trances, spasms and catalepsy 024268
- Fancher, Mollie - I didn't like her looks when she entered the door - the door is on the floor below 024276
- Fancher, Mollie - I think she has glimpses of the other world, if she has not indeed been there 024267
- Fancher, Mollie - She told them that she had been to see 'Aunt Susie 024274
- Fancher, Mollie - Sometimes I can see all through the house 024275
- Fancher, Mollie - The long trance 024278
- Fancher, Mollie - The multiple personalities - Sunbeam, Idol and Pearl 024285
- Fancher, Mollie - When I go into a trance, I go out and around and see a great deal 024273
- Natasha of Cardiff has a near death from whooping cough 013046
- Professor Carmagnola witnesses the little girl who could hear with her shoulders and see with her hands 024288
- Seeing and hearing a theatre play 001343
Enlightenment
In time
- Beethoven - Für Elise 001908
- Croad, Mrs Carrie - Blindsight by reading other people’s minds 024280
- Croad, Mrs Carrie - The Testimony of the Nonconformist Minister Mr. J. G. Westlake - Blindsight and remote viewing 024281
- Fancher, Mollie - At times I have seen around me, and around my friends who call to see me, the angel forms of those persons who are supposed to be dead 024266
- Independent newspaper - US scientist identifies 'wind turbine syndrome' 016178
- Messing, Wolf - An explanation by Messing of how he was able to perform telepathy 023325
- MrL Bugaut of Cork in Ireland sees his friend's French granny 011278
- Natasha of Cardiff has a near death from whooping cough 013046
- Oliver Sacks - Blind Rosalee sees Arabs on stairs 013552
- Oliver Sacks - Mrs O' C and the crystal radio 003694
- Professor Carmagnola witnesses the little girl who could hear with her shoulders and see with her hands 024288
- Schumann, Robert - A melody which the angels had sung to him 001907
- Schumann, Robert - Hearing one note played constantly 001909
- Sheridan, Clare – The haunting of Brede Place 023820
- The little deaf mute child who had a Prophetic dream of the death of Abraham Lincoln 024909
- Theophilus d’Estrella 004395
- TIHKAL - Alexander Shulgin - Peganum harmala seeds 014802
Prophecy
- Fancher, Mollie - Blindsight and prophecy 024270
- The little deaf mute child who had a Prophetic dream of the death of Abraham Lincoln 024909
Environmental Influence
Other observations
- Chronic Exposure to Low Frequency Noise at Moderate Levels Causes Impaired Balance in Mice 027501
- Croad, Mrs Carrie - The Testimony of the Nonconformist Minister Mr. J. G. Westlake - Eating no food 024282
- Fancher, Mollie - Living without any food 024269
- Fancher, Mollie - Living without any food - without sustenance enough to feed a baby 024283
- Fancher, Mollie - The multiple personalities 024279
- Health Canada and Wind Turbines: Too little too late 027778
- Responses of the ear to low frequency sounds, infrasound and wind turbines 027427