Approximately 48 million Americans have some degree of hearing loss. According to the World Health Organization, over 466 millions people globally suffer from disabling hearing loss. Hyperacusis is one of the conditions that people suffer from. It’s characterized by their increased sensitivity to common levels of noise. Often, there is emotional stress associated as well. This condition can make normal life unbearable. One common symptom management technique is wearing hearing protection devices such as ear plugs or muffs. This is only sometimes useful as it can result in heightened awareness of white noise. Another treatment is mental training from modified Tinnitus mental treatment. This consists of training the patient to relax and not perceive noises as threats.
Tinnitus, is another inner ear syndrome that is often paired with Hyperacusis. In an article from the National Institute of Health on Hyperacusis, it is stated that “in patients with a primary complaint of hyperacusis the prevalence of tinnitus has been reported as 86%. Tinnitus is caused by underlying conditions, the most common being age-related hearing loss. Patients with Tinnitus often hear buzzing or ringing that can be increasingly unbearable. Common treatments include Tinnitus Retraining Therapy and addressing the underlying condition that is causing the symptoms.
Another common side effect of inner ear conditions and inner ear nerve damage is vertigo. Inner ear nerve damage may be caused by severe allergies often coupled by hereditary characteristics. Allergies attack sensitive tissues and nerves within your sinuses and ears. Allergy season attacks your body also reduces your immune system’s ability to fight off the effects. The combined results lead to episodes of vertigo. A common diagnosis of vertigo is Meniere’s Disease. However, there are many myths of solving meniere’s disease by drinking coffee and other dietetics, eating bananas and not consuming alcohol. We have found that allergy shots, taking antiviral medication such as Valtrex combined with red light therapy is a far better solution.
In an article on treating inner-ear vertigo issues, the National Library of Medicine says: “Photobiomodulation is a candidate therapy for vertigo due to its ability to reach deep inner ear organs such as the cochlea.” It also helps boost your immune system to fight off allergens and pathogens that attack your body.
Similarly, a study from SAGE Journals was performed in 2014 on patients with Hyperacusis in order to assess the effectiveness of photobiomodulation as a potential treatment for the discomfort. “Ninety-nine percent of observations had a large improvement of auditory capacity and 78.9% of them reached normal discomfort levels (no hyperacusis).”
By using a whole-body red light system, the entire body can absorb the healing effects of photobiomodulation. So, a patient can improve their whole body health, improve immune system properties, and help calm inner ear conditions.
Go to our product page to learn more about our Prism Light Pod features or contact us about how you can incorporate red light therapy as part of your integrated wellness or hearing services center!
