Tinnitus: Questions and Answers

When I was first diagnosed with Tinnitus a month ago, I was thoroughly confused. The audiologist who confirmed the hearing loss was of the " deal with it" school. I needed more than that. My greatest source of help has been the American Tinnitus Association (ATA.org) and this is a book produced by them. If you are experiencing this phenomenon or if you have someone in your family who is, this book is a terrific source of information. It is done in a question and answer format and I can almost assure you that any question you might have is covered in this book in some fashion or another. And the reader is never made to feel that they are stupid for asking "that" question. It was very helpful to me.

For people just developing ringing in the ears or who have had it for a while and don't have a clue what to do about it, this is an enormously useful volume that explains theories of what causes the problem, analyzes various treatment approaches, answers many practical questions, and generally tries to put a positive focus on coping with the psychological aspects. Also contains a very very helpful appendix of resources, support groups, etc. An excellent place to start.

I was browsing the bookstore for books on Tinnitus and found 3 to compare. This one was the most expensive but by far the most informative, laid out in Q & A style in so many categories like hypnosis, drugs, music, etc. What I really liked was that it didn't contain all this "deal with it and relax" ... that you see en masse in other books. The binding and print quality is really nice so you can go back to it and not worry about your investment -- it's a book I'll keep on my bookshelf. It's about 240 pages and is a must read, in my opinion, because you are probably like me and want to know everything you can about something you are reminded about all too often. Here you can pick your topic and read it one area at a time.

Quite possibly the best book ever written for the tinnitus patient. If there's one better, I haven't encountered it since my introduction to tinnitus 32 years ago. It's just that this one covers so much ground, and breaks it all down into such clear, manageable chunks. There's no lost time here: Quickly find and read what applies to you and skip the rest. But be forewarned: Tinnitus Today editor Tabachnick-Sanders writing is so conversational, so informative, that I found myself reading about many topics that did not apply at all to my experience of tinnitus. More importantly, I found answers to questions no G.P., E.N.T. or audiologist has ever been able to answer for me. I also found hope, coming away with the sense that, finally, the research community is seriously pursuing effective tinnitus treatments. That alone was worth the cost. In short, Tinnitus Questions & Answers is well worth punching in that credit card number and clicking "submit."

Dr. Jack Vernon, Professor Emeritus of Otolaryngology at the Oregon Health Sciences University and former Director of the Oregon Hearing Research Center, is the world's leading authority on tinnitus and tinnitus treatment. He is a lifelong avid reader and a great admirer of the written word. Barbara Tabachnick Sanders, editor of Tinnitus Today, is a master of that written word. And working for the American Tinnitus Association as a senior staff member focusing largely on the areas of support and education, she has gained a unique and sophisticated lay appreciation of the complexities inherent in tinnitus -- an amorphous condition that can range in impact from mere distraction to devastation. In Tinnitus -- Questions and Answers, Vernon and Tabachnick Sanders join forces to produce a book that is extraordinarily broad in scope and meticulous in depth, yet so lovingly composed that it makes for an "easy read." This volume is a must for those affected by tinnitus -- patients, family, and friends -- as well as by hearing healthcare professionals like me, whose jobs have just become that much easier.