Phototherapy - New Strategies for Treating Tinnitus and Hearing Loss

Often, we cannot satisfactorily treat sub-acute and chronic hearing disorders with conventional therapeutic approaches. In some cases, subsequent effects of a hearing loss may include decreased hearing, or an irritating tone in the ear that manifests itself particularly in quiet surroundings. The latter can lead to a significant reduction in quality of life. If circulation-promoting medicine cannot dissolve the obstruction of the small vessels of the inner ear, an imbalance of endorphin and neurotransmitter metabolism occurs. The constant exposure to ear pressure and irregular ear tones cause this to occur. The noise centralizes itself. From a neuropharmacological viewpoint, in principle, a depression occurs. At this stage, we can no longer positively influence the situation through circulation-promoting medication alone. A new approach, that we can apply here, is the use of light. We expose the patient to a specific spectrum of UVA and UVB wavelengths in a light booth. The exposure to light stimulates the levels of serotonin, positively influences the neurotransmitter metabolism, and simultaneously inhibits the secretion of inflammatory mediators. We tend to apply phototherapy early on, in part already parallel to medication that promotes blood circulation and oxygen therapy. The treatment takes place over several days, whereupon each session only lasts a few minutes.