Neuromonics Reports Relief for Veterans Suffering from Tinnitus

July 2011

Neuromonics reports that its treatment for tinnitus has restored a sense of normalcy in the lives of more than 1,100 veterans who have been successfully treated with its technology.

The company cites the cases of two war veterans who were recently treated for tinnitus with the Neuromonics technology and technique.

Corporal Lewit (ret) developed tinnitus during his two tours in Iraq. He worked with explosive ordinance disposal and experienced a number of Improvised Explosive Device (IED) explosions, including a suicide bomber (Vehicle-Borne Improvised Explosive Device) attack on his convoy. It was shortly after the convoy attack that the corporal first experienced tinnitus, but he wouldn't find relief until he was home on leave in Atlanta a few years later.

"I thought my brain was melting," said Lewit of the pain caused by his tinnitus. "I went to the emergency room in agonizing pain one night, and the doctors said I had tinnitus. I received a referral to an audiologist at the Atlanta Veterans Administration Medical Center and started the Neuromonics Tinnitus Treatment. I have my life back."

Another veteran, Colonel Robert Schorr (ret) of Acworth, Ga, flew many types of aircraft for the United States Air Force, racking up an impressive 13,000 hours of flight time. That included a stint flying combat missions during the Vietnam War. But it wasn't until a business trip to California in 2003 that Colonel Schorr experienced his first brush with tinnitus.

"It was like sitting next to two TF 33 jet engines at full throttle, said Schorr. "I couldn't hear, and the pain was excruciating. I went to the emergency room, and all they could give me were painkillers. A few years later, an audiologist at the Atlanta Veterans Administration Medical Center prescribed the Neuromonics Oasis device and Neuromonics Tinnitus Treatment. Within two months, the noise had abated."

Neuromonics estimates that more than 50 million people in the United States suffer from tinnitus. The problem is especially significant in the military, with more than 34% of returning veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan suffering from the condition.

The Neuromonics Tinnitus Treatment (NTT) uses the Neuromonics Oasis device (pictured). According to the company, the treatment is the only FDA-cleared, patented, and clinically proven medical device with documented long-term relief of tinnitus.

Resembling a small consumer music player, the Oasis device works by desensitizing the patient's tinnitus perception. The patient wears the device for a few hours per day (time depending on the individual), listening to soothing music that is customized to each person's unique hearing and tinnitus profile.

According to Duane Knight, CFO of Neuromonics, a recent independent study shows that more than 90% of patients who use the NTT experience a significant reduction in tinnitus, and that over 1,100 military personnel have experienced relief through use of the Neuromonics Oasis device and NTT.

Visit Neuromonics for more information.