People with tinnitus have been “advised to listen to the sea to
cure ringing in ears”, according to Metro, the free commuters’
newspaper. Its story, which may seem comforting only to sailors
and fishermen, is based on a new study that explored how best to
help patients with tinnitus, a common distressing condition that
causes a constant ringing or other noise in the ears. The
yearlong Dutch trial gave adults with tinnitus a standard
package of care or a programme which added cognitive behavioural
therapy (CBT) to elements of standard therapy for tinnitus. CBT
is a type of therapy that challenges people’s negative
assumptions and feelings to help them overcome their worries.
Compared with those given usual care, the group receiving
specialised treatment reported improved quality of life, and
reduced severity and impairment caused by tinnitus. This well-
designed study found that using CBT alongside elements of
standard therapy can help patients with tinnitus of varying
severity. However, the differences in outc