Red Light Therapy for Tinnitus

People suffering from tinnitus hear sound in one’s head or ears without the stimulus of external sound. Tinnitus affects approximately 15% to 20% of the population, with older adults being the most affected. 1

What are the indications of Tinnitus?

Tinnitus is characterized as a ringing in the ears despite the absence of external sound. Variations of Tinnitus include sounds, such as clicking, buzzing, humming, ringing, pulsating, or other auditory sensations. Tinnitus may affect one or both ears.

Implementing Red Light Therapy (RLT)

Researchers believe the most plausible explanation for Tinnitus is that when cochlear hair cells are damaged by age or external causes, they randomly transmit electrical signals to the brain.

RLT has been shown to heal weakened tissue and rejuvenation cells by activating the mitochondria inside the cells.2

How can Red Light therapy possibly relieve Tinnitus?

RLT light targeted inside the ear canal will stimulate cellular mitochondria and increases blood supply to cochlear hair cells (cilia). In this way, RLT is believed to assist in regulating electrical signals compromised by diseased and degenerated cochlear hair cells.3

Research Studies

The first study is about the Low-level laser effect in the treatment of patients with intractable Tinnitus due to sensorineural hearing loss as cited in the National Center for Biotechnology Information.

Researchers studied LLLT on 120 patients with untreatable tinnitus and hearing damage in a 2014 trial. The patients were split into two sections. Group one underwent laser therapy treatment over 20-sessions for 20-minutes. Group two served as the control group. This sham group believed they had experienced the laser treatment, but the electricity to the machines had been turned off. After the treatment, the expected difference in tinnitus measure between the two classes was statistically significant, but not statistically significant after the three-month study completion. In the end, the authors concluded that “low-level laser radiation is effective for the short-term treatment of tinnitus caused by sensorineural hearing loss, and its impact may be reduced over the time.” (Mirvakili et al., 2014)

My opinion of this study shows LLLT (and possibly LED) to be a treatment rather than a cure for tinnitus.

The second study confirms the effectiveness of low-level laser stimulation in tinnitus treatment.

Forty-six participants who suffered from tinnitus for a minimum of three years were randomly assigned to two groups. Twenty patients (N=20) to a placebo group. Twenty-six patients (N=26) to the experimental group received low-level laser stimulation at 5 mW with of wavelength of 650 nm.

(Note study stated laser power of 5 mV, I believe this to be a typo, and the authors meant to write 5 mW)

The experimental group received the laser treatment 20 minutes per day for a period extending three months. A test-retest was done to measure the results. The Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) questionnaire was completed by the participants at the start and end of the test. By the end, Cuda and De Caria found that while all the participants’ THI scores improved, the experimental group score significantly better.

Approximately 61% of the experimental group who received the laser treatment had significantly improved.5

Additional information proves that Red Light Therapy is an effective treatment for Tinnitus.

According to Mic Waiver from the 49th DCM Congress in Rotenberg in Bavaria that in their study, sixty-one patients were included, and it is proven that low-level laser light improved the Tinnitus and is highly effective. 6

Conclusion

Several studies indicate that RLT may be an effective treatment for Tinnitus.

References:

1- https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/tinnitus/symptoms-causes/syc-20350156

2- https://endalldisease.com/reverse-hearing-loss-and-tinnitus-red-light/

3- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3063436/

4- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25653802/

5- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19205171/

6- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-np2IpSbHZM

More Information on Red Light Therapy and Photobiomodulation

I recently published a book on Red Light Therapy, titled “Living Younger Longer Using Red Light Therapy”. The book is available on Amazon.com, I have ePub, PDF, and print books available from my website at :

https://john-iovine.com/living-younger-longer.html

Disclaimer

The content and information contained in this article are for informational purposes only. The information provided in this article is not and must not be taken as an alternative to any advice by a doctor, physician, or medical professional.

The author, John Iovine, has narrated his research experiences in this article by observing and evaluating facts and figures. The reliance on the facts and figures has been done in good faith and believed to be reliable according to the author’s best knowledge. The sources of referenced information could change or be updated in the future. The author cannot guarantee the validity and accuracy of the sources, which may change, be modified, updated, or removed in the future, and thus, disclaims himself from any such changes, modifications, updates, and removals.