New Book Brings Message of Hope -- and Lots of Answers -- to Tinnitus Sufferers.

Book Editors and Health/Medical Writers

PORTLAND, Ore.--(BW HealthWire)--March 6, 2001

Tinnitus -- the ringing, hissing, or continual noise in the ears or head -- is growing at an alarming pace in this country.

Millions suffer from the debilitating condition, typically in silence. Because most health-care professionals are not knowledgeable about tinnitus or its treatments, they often tell patients to simply "go home and learn to live with it" without telling them how to live with it.

Two authors have set out to change that with an insightful book that examines the confounding disorder from a number of different perspectives.

In "Tinnitus: Questions and Answers," published by Allyn and Bacon, authors Jack A. Vernon, Ph.D., and Barbara Tabachnick Sanders answer hundreds of questions about tinnitus.

Their responses, based on referenced research and the experiences of thousands of patients, touch on promising drug treatments, new research, alternative remedies, hearing loss, hyperacusis, Meniere's disease, masking, and tinnitus retraining therapy. The book's format is similar to Vernon's Q&A column in Tinnitus Today, the quarterly journal of the American Tinnitus Association.

"Tinnitus: Questions and Answers" is a reflection of Vernon's 30-year dedication to the problem. His passion about treating the condition and willingness to try out new ideas has pushed the mysterious disorder into the national spotlight.

Vernon and Sanders' collaboration has produced a thorough and optimistic book for patients and health-care professionals alike who want or need to know more about tinnitus

"This book takes the dialogue about tinnitus to a broader audience than ever before," said ATA Executive Director Cheryl McGinnis. "A book like this helps extend our outreach with vital information.

"For those who have tinnitus, here is help you can hold in your hand."

Said Stephen Nagler, M.D., FACS, director of the Alliance Tinnitus and Hearing Center in Atlanta: "This volume is extraordinarily broad in scope and meticulous in depth. However, it is so lovingly composed that it makes for an easy read. It is a must for those affected by tinnitus -- patients, family, and friends as well as hearing health professionals like me, whose jobs have just become that much easier."

"Tinnitus: Questions and Answers" is available from Allyn and Bacon, 800/278-3525, for $25.99.

About the American Tinnitus Association

The American Tinnitus Association (ATA), founded in 1971, is a national non-profit human health and welfare agency dedicated to advancing critical tinnitus research and helping tinnitus patients find treatments and relief.

ATA publishes the quarterly journal, Tinnitus Today, and sponsors a national self-help network, educational programs for schools, patient and professional conferences, and a bibliography service. Today, ATA has funded more than $1 million in research to pinpoint the origin of tinnitus, find safe practical ways to relieve tinnitus distress, and search for a cure.

For more information about the American Tinnitus Association, call 800/634-8978, or visit their Web site at www.ata.org.

About the Authors

Vernon, Professor Emeritus of Otolaryngology at the Oregon Health Sciences University, is a longtime champion of the tinnitus patient. Shortly after his first tinnitus research began in 1968, he founded the Tinnitus Clinic at the Oregon Hearing Research Center, the first tinnitus clinic in the United States.

His passionate interest in tinnitus prompted the founding of the American Tinnitus Association (ATA) in 1971, now a national research-funding organization.

Sanders began writing investigative articles about tinnitus in the early 1990s and is editor of the ATA's acclaimed journal Tinnitus Today. As ATA's director of education, Sanders created the "Hear for a Lifetime" hearing conservation school program, and has written educational brochures, PSAs, and radio scripts for the organization.

She has authored more than 70 articles on parenting, tinnitus, and other health topics.