Podcast

"Conversations in Tinnitus" podcasts are hosted by audiologists John A. Coverstone, AuD, our podcast producer and Dean Flyger, AuD, a private practice audiologist in Paris, TX. Each podcast focuses on current issues, research, and treatment methods for people living with tinnitus.

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Podcast 12: Talking About Tinnitus with Children

SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS: David Baguley, PhD, and Claire Benton, MSc

TOPIC: Dr. Baguley and Claire Benton discuss their efforts to educate parents, teachers, and healthcare providers on talking to children about tinnitus. The widespread misconception that children don’t have tinnitus has meant children suffer alone and miss critical opportunities for early intervention. They also discuss their research findings on the topic and tools to help children manage tinnitus.

Podcast 13: Understanding Preferences for Loud Music

Elizabeth Beach

SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT: Elizabeth Beach, PhD

TOPIC: Dr. Elizabeth Beach discusses large-scale research that reveals why clubs, bar, and music venues are playing music at higher volumes than what most people prefer. And while it might seem easy to raise awareness that results in quieter recreational music venues, Beach says it’s complicated, so safe listening initiatives require support at various levels to achieve change. As head of the Behavioral Sciences Department at the National Acoustics Laboratory in Australia, she studies recreational noise in the music and entertainment industry, strategies for encouraging safe listening for staff and patrons, and how to motivate young adults to protect their hearing.

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Episode 12: Building Skills in Mindfulness to Manage Tinnitus

Jen on Meditation SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT: Jennifer Gans, PhD

TOPIC: Jennifer Gans, PhD and licensed psychologist, launched the Mindfulness-Based Tinnitus Stress Reduction (MBTSR) program to teach mindfulness meditation skills to people bothered by chronic tinnitus. With practice, Gans contends that bothersome tinnitus can be addressed effectively, opening the door to a renewed sense of hope and empowerment. She also discusses research that explains how mindfulness meditation strengthens the brain’s ability to respond more neutrally to negative stimuli, such as tinnitus, anxiety and fear.

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Episode 11: Habituation to Tinnitus Using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Bruce Hubbard, PhD, ABPP SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT: Bruce Hubbard, PhD

TOPIC: For more than 20 years, Dr. Bruce Hubbard has helped people improve their lives using cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), mindfulness, and relational therapy strategies. He explains how CBT, acceptance commitment therapy (ACT), and mindfulness are applied to treatment of tinnitus and what patients should expect. As someone with tinnitus, Dr. Hubbard offers a unique perspective on the challenges and process of habituation, as well as the importance of early intervention. He also discusses the audiologist’s role and assessing when to refer a tinnitus patient to a mental-health provider.

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Podcast 10: Benefits and Pitfalls of an Online Support Community *

Tinnitus Talk

SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS: Markku Vesala and Hazel Goedhart of TinnitusTalk

TOPIC: Markku Vesala, founder of Tinnitus Talk, and Hazel Goedhart, content strategist, discuss how the online support forum began in 2011, its mission and goals, as well as their own journeys with tinnitus. Both note that internet forums pose a unique challenge in terms of questionable advice as well as causing some members to fixate on their tinnitus. Nonetheless, the online community can provide a sense of connection and meaning for people with tinnitus.

*Online tinnitus support forums can encourage important communication about the condition, thereby providing a sense of community and empowerment. However, with no gate-keeping mechanism to manage misinformation, it's critical that forum visitors crosscheck information with credible tinnitus websites that vet content, particularly for individuals who recently developed tinnitus or are suffering from depression. False information can contribute to increased tinnitus distress, anxiety, purchases of useless products, and delay in seeking appropriate research-based treatment for its management.

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Episode 9: Implementing Successful Tinnitus Treatment

Helen Pryce

SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT: Helen Pryce, MSc, PD (Health)

In this podcast, Dr. Helen Pryce explains how healthcare providers can successfully implement shared decision-making with tinnitus patients through use of the Tinnitus Decision Aid, which was developed in the United Kingdom and presents evidence-based treatment choices. By empowering patients in conversations that weigh the pros and cons of each care option based on what’s most practical for the patient, Pryce believes patients are more likely to commit to a treatment plan that works.

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Episode 8, Part 2: Ototoxicity and Tinnitus

Robert M. DiSogra, AuD Dr. DiSogra continues his conversation on the topic of ototoxicity and tinnitus, helping the listener to anticipate potential problems related to certain drugs and what should be done if a medication seems to have triggered or aggravated tinnitus. He highlights resources and steps people should know to better manage tinnitus and other health issues that require medication. For practitioners, he discusses what should be considered when evaluating a patient whose tinnitus might be the result of ototoxicity, as well as ways to support patients so they have positive interactions and outcomes as they navigate the healthcare system.

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Episode 8, Part 1: Over-The-Counter Medications for Tinnitus Relief

Robert M. DiSogra, AuD

SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT: Robert M. DiSogra, AuD

In this podcast, Dr. DiSogra, an audiologist for 39 years and frequent lecturer on the topic of tinnitus and ototoxicity, reveals what every person with tinnitus and every hearing healthcare professional should know about this largely unregulated industry, issues with ingredients, and the efficacy of the products. Promises of relief and the desire to try anything to quiet the sound of tinnitus have fueled a lucrative market for over-the-counter dietary supplements, or nutraceuticals, aimed at the millions of Americans bothered by tinnitus.

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Episode 7: Breakthrough Using Multisensory Stimulation to Reduce Tinnitus

SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT: Susan Shore, PhD

After 20 years of painstaking research, Dr. Shore made national headlines this year with groundbreaking research results that showed positive effects in tinnitus treatment using bimodal stimulation. She heads the team of researchers at the University of Michigan, where it was discovered that “touch”-sensitive (somatosensory) neurons in the auditory region of the brain become hyperactive and synchronized with each other in guinea pigs and humans with tinnitus. The team’s preliminary studies found that bimodal stimulation, which calms neurons using specially-timed multisensory stimulation, reduces tinnitus distress and loudness. In the fall, her team will begin the next phase of research, with the goal of replicating earlier results and gaining Food and Drug Administration approval for commercialization of the technique.

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Episode 6: Mapping Tinnitus in the Brain

Gander Podcast Dr. Phillip Gander discusses his groundbreaking research mapping tinnitus in the brain during two different craniotomies. His research has added clarity to fMRI studies and theories on the different networks of brain that process the phantom sound/s of tinnitus. In addition to sharing unexpected things that happened during the research conducted while the patients were awake, he touches on how future research might be designed to track and compare changes in the brain of subjects with tinnitus, which could provide better understanding of subsets of tinnitus and why it affects people differently.

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Episode 5 - Managing Meniere’s Disease and Tinnitus

Our 5th podcast features Glenn Schweitzer, a best-selling author and blogger on tinnitus and Meniere’s disease. Schweitzer was a college student when the sudden onset of Meniere’s disease destroyed his vision of having a productive life. He shares how this life-altering disease aggravated his tinnitus and necessitated a radical change in lifestyle, focus, and commitment to helping others with both conditions. Listeners will hear his story and what motivated him to become an advocate for greater awareness and help for those with bothersome tinnitus and Meniere’s disease.