I recently acquired idiopathic tinnitus.  In other words, I now have ringing in my ears 24/7 and I don't know the cause.<p>What's even more maddening is that there are no good treatments for this condition.  It is one of many "Cinderella Conditions" in healthcare - very little money is spent on what seems to be an eminently treatable and maybe even curable disease.  Not to mention a profitable one.<p>As of right now, "Approximately 40 million Americans have chronic tinnitus. For 10 million of these people, tinnitus can be a severely debilitating condition." according to Oregon University (source: http://www.ohsu.edu/ohrc/tinnitusclinic/factSheet.html#relieving%20tinnitus)<p>Not only that, but each of those 10 million people would be willing to spend SIGNIFICANT sums of money for viable treatments.  Look no further than what one YC user had to say about this condition:<p>---<p>"Ask HN: What would you love to pay for if it was available?"
A proven cure for tinnitus. I'd clean out my bank account and cash in all my 401Ks, if need be, to pay for the treatment. For those who don't know what tinnitus is, just imagine having a high-pitched ringing sound in your head that never, ever, ever stops. Ever.
http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=551872<p>---<p>The closest viable option comes from a company called "Neuromonics" which basically charges $5000 for an IPod like device that retrains your brain to not hear the sounds.  Really?  That's the best solution the market can provide for 10 million sufferers with money in their hands?<p>Not to mention the fact that the number of people needing a solution like this is going to explode given the prevalence of noise induced hearing loss that is going to be present in this and future generations.<p>So that's my idea - take it and run with it, please. :)<p>------------<p>The broader question is: Why Aren't There More HealthCare Startups?<p>Every one of us probably knows someone suffering from a condition for which there aren't any good treatments?  Why aren't WE doing MORE to improve these conditions?<p>Additionally, every one of us will eventually come down with a disease or chronic condition that will either kill us or make certain aspects of our lives' miserable.  Do you really want to trust that other people will solve these problems before we encounter them?<p>I understand that health care startups are hard.  The barriers to entry are high, the success rates are fairly low, and the problems are difficult to solve.  But the reward to humanity and quality of life is higher than just about any web app you could build.<p>Does the world really need another twitter mashup?  Or should we be striving to work on more impactful things?<p>Food for thought, I guess.
Tell HN: A Health Care Startup Idea.  And a question to ponder.