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Let's find a CURE  !

"TINNITUS".

We all need a little peace !

 Don't tell us, " You will have to learn to live with it!"
About Tinnitus

    About    TINNITUS

Keeping it  simple !

Tinnitus affects many individuals. It is a debilitating affliction which one is told to "learn to live with it".Sadly it is a tough thing to do with Noise in ones ear that is 24/7. 

There is no peace for sufferers ever. It is like having a radio channel on between stations listening to static all the time. Some Siren sounds, buzzing, hissing at all different frequencies and volume.

For some they have resorted to take their life as they can not stand the hell this gives one. For some they learn to live with it however it varies in intensity from person to person. 

Tinnitus affects many in the music industry,composers, engineers, producers, actors, Military Veterans, & regular every day people

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We need awareness for many reasons. To find a cure, to know that one is not alone, to know there is different avenues to try to cope with it, to know the sad stories from those who could not take it anymore, And hopefully one day find a cure

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to Who we Are

WHO ARE WE

We are the Tinnitus Association of South Western Ontario.                         We are located in London Ontario Canada .      
We are a "Non Profit Organization"
 All funds raised go strictly to Tinnitus Research where Tinnitus Research is on going.  

Funds do not go to any personal gain as all our members as well as the cofounders donate their time and talents for our common goal.                  Funds go right to work, to work to find a cure.
As for Fundraising we have awesome talent involved with us, with that many fundraising events are being put together with much variety to not only gain funds for research however bring much AWARENESS to this disorder. 

                        *See our team below
We Fund Raise
Each year in the Christmas season , approx the first week of December we have hold a annual online auction which is reached globally to those who wish to view and partake.  We have items from businesses and music artists and celebrities from many parts of the world. With the help of those who generously donate items to put in our auction, togehter we are making a difference to helping find a cure!.
We are very much alive in the music industry globally and locally which we are honoured to have such great supporters as well celebrities , actors, atheletes who have been touched by Tinnitus or know someone who is. 


We also are ADVOCATES for this disorder and work on educating people about Tinnitus. 

We teach PREVENTION. Although Tinnitus is caused by many things prevention in areas of loud sound can prevent as well keeping one's tinnitus from getting louder. (please see our prevention items to purchase)

 

We are an OUT REACH for those who need to reach out to talk to someone regarding their Tinnitus and help they may need

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We do this in Loving memory of
                                         ~
Michael "Mike" Shipley

                           Record producer/Engineer/Mixer & good friend 

                              and all who have battled and continue to battle 

                                                         Tinnitus                                                      

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SLIDE SHOW information

WHAT IS TINNITUS - LONG FORM

 

Tinnitus is the term used for noises or sounds which are heard in one or both ears or in the head which do not come from an external source. They are often described as a high-pitched ringing but can also be described as a buzzing, hissing, pulsing, whistling, roaring, or various other sounds. Tinnitus can be very mild in loudness and only noticeable in a quiet room or it can become extremely loud and annoying to the point where the sufferer hears nothing else. It can be present all of the time or occur intermittently.

The loudness of the tinnitus often varies in intensity depending on several factors including stress, diet, and noise exposure. Tinnitus, like chronic pain, is subjective. Two people may report similar characteristics yet be affected in a significantly different manner. The severity of the tinnitus is largely a function of the individual reaction to, or perception of, the tinnitus. Many tinnitus sufferers have difficulty sleeping and/or concentrating, and many are depressed.

As many as 360,000 Canadians suffer from annoying tinnitus. 150,000 Canadians experience a degree of tinnitus that significantly affects their quality of life*. While tinnitus does not cause hearing loss, it may accompany decreased hearing and other symptoms such as a feeling of pressure in the ear and/or unsteadiness, dizziness or vertigo. However, for many people with tinnitus it occurs alone with no other symptoms.

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WHAT ARE THE CAUSES OF TINNITUS?

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The exact mechanism underlying tinnitus, what it is and where it is, is unknown at this time but research continues around the world. Some of the causes of tinnitus are:

  • Disorders in the outer ear such as excessive ear wax (cerumen), a foreign body, perforated eardrum, or a hair touching the eardrum. Often, removal of the problem (wax, hair, etc.) will relieve the tinnitus.

  • Disorders in the middle ear such as an ear infection, otosclerosis, or a benign tumor.

  • Disorders in the inner ear such as damage due to noise exposure, presbycusis (hearing loss from aging), Meniere’s Disesase which is also accompanied by episodic dizziness, nausea, ear pressure, and fluctuating hearing loss. Noise exposure is the leading cause of tinnitus and is very preventable with the use of hearing protection.

  • Trauma to the head or neck, such as concussion or whiplash, can cause long-lasting tinnitus.

  • Certain medications can cause head noises. They include anti-inflammatories such as aspirin and quinine, some sedatives and antidepressants, and certain antibiotics and chemotherapeutic agents including furosemide, cisplatinum, streptomycin, neomycin, and kanamycin.

  • One of the most difficult causes of tinnitus to diagnose is a vestibular schwannoma (acoustic neuroma) which is a small tumor pressing on the vestibular nerve leading from the cochlea to the brain. Tinnitus may be the only initial symptom.

  • Various other causes such as high or low blood pressure, diabetes, vascular disorders, temporomandibular (jaw-joint) disorders, allergies, syphilis and thyroid dysfunction.

Although the majority of people with tinnitus have an associated hearing loss, the presence of tinnitus does not mean that one has decreased hearing.

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Donate Directly

DONATE DIRECTLY TO TINNITUS RESEARCH

                               

If you would like to donate directly to Tinnitus research you may do so in the following manner:

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1. By cheque:
Send cheque with ‘Tinnitus Research’ marked on the cheque
Cheque to be payable to  "
Tinnitus Assoc. of South Western Ontario"

Mail to :
TInnitus Association of South Western Ontario
405 Commissioners Rd West
Suite 701
London , Ontario
N6J 4G3

 

2) Credit card gifts may also be made by phone. Please call 519-702-6864

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2) You will be sent a charitable receipt to the email address provided.

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MATCH DONATIONS: 
It may also be possible to double the gift. More than 8,000 Canadian and American companies will match their current and retired employees' charitable contributions, as well as those made by their spouses. Please check with your employer to see if you are elegible

 

Supporters

Music Artists, Celebrities, Atheletes 
who support us and contribute to our fund raising efforts.

BLAIR'S STORY

          A Patient's story regaridng Tinnitus ,

   coping and Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT)

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B L A I R 'S    S T O R Y

    I remember the words my doctor said ........
   "The problem is with your ear ,
and there is                    nothing you can do about it". 

   My tinnitus is related to noise exposure from 22 years service

      in the Canadian Forces, employedas a Signals Operator


When you are experiencing fear about an illness or disease,

        but you can not find anyone who is knowledgeable or                        understanding, you quickly realize you are all alone.


   I can tell you the tinnitus noise occurs in the auditory system,  not your ear.  Listening to people who are unknowledgeable,  including sadly, many in the medical community, will increase               anxiety affecting your central nervous system and will                         subsequently impact on your sensitivity to Tinnitus.

 

              You do not have to suffer with the condition.

That is not to say you will not experience difficult days, but in time, armed with accurate knowledge and customized coping strategies                    you will be able to manage better. 

THE TEAM

Meet The Team

Bethanne Keep


Co-founder
Advoate

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Grant Dobson


Co-founder

Advocate

DeRoK Madigan

 

Ambassador to Tinnitus Association of South Western Ontario & London Music Industry Performer &Consultant

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Adrian Dickenson

Chuck Mason

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United Kingdom (UK)

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 Advocate and liaison for

Tinnitus Association of South Western Ontario
Youtube presenter regarding Tinnitus
Blair Churchill
Eastern Canada - Advocate & Canadian Military consultant suffering from Tinnitus

Michelle Donovan

Western Canada - Advocate - Youth with Tinnitus 
and liaison for Tinnitus Association of

South Western Ontario

American - Advocate and liaison for Tinnitus Assocition of South Western Ontario

- Music Industry

and liason for Tinnitus Association of

South Western Ontario

Those we have given funds raised to

for Tinnitus Research ;

Checque Donation to

Assistant Professor
Anatomy & Cell Biology Department
Schulich School of Midicine & Dentistry
Western University

Dr Brian Allman
 

Dr Brian Allman
 

Checque Donation to

Assistant Professor
Anatomy & Cell Biology Department
Schulich School of Midicine & Dentistry
Western University
A note from Dr. Allman

            A note from  Dr. Brian Allman
                   ~Tinnitus Researcher

working on updating Dr. Brian Allman

I was pleased when the Co-Founders of the Tinnitus Association of Southwestern Ontario, Bethanne Keep and Grant Dobson, approached me in 2015 to become involved in their efforts to advocate for tinnitus sufferers.

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As an Assistant Professor at Western University, I run a research program devoted to uncovering the brain activity that causes tinnitus. Although there is no shortage of tinnitus sufferers willing to serve as research participants, it remains quite challenging to study the neural basis of tinnitus in humans because researchers often lack the complimentary measures of brain activity before tinnitus emerged, and the case history of tinnitus sufferers can vary considerably. To overcome these obstacles, my lab has turned to the laboratory rat.

While it might seem odd to someone suffering from tinnitus that a rat could offer them eventual hope, it is worth noting that rodent models provide some distinct experimental advantages. For example, rodent models offer: (1) consistency in tinnitus induction ( e.g., exposure to a given loud noise exposure); (2) the ability to compare brain activity before and after tinnitus emergence, and; (3) a preclinical platform on which to evaluate the potential efficacy of novel pharmaceuticals at silencing tinnitus or preventing its onset following hearing trauma.

Over the past few years, my colleagues and I have endeavored to develop the world's foremost rat model of tinnitus. Ultimately, we have designed novel behavioural testing paradigms which allow us to train rats to "tell us" whether or not they are experiencing tinnitus. To summarize, rats learn to perform a distinct behaviour (e.g., press a lever) when sound is presented, and a different behaviour during quiet conditions. Then, following noise or drug exposure, if the animal mistakenly behaves during quiet conditions as though it was "hearing" a real acoustic stimulus, we can conclude that the animal is experiencing tinnitus. My lab is not alone in using such behavioural training to screen laboratory animals for tinnitus; however, my colleagues and I were first researchers in the world to record brain activity at the very moment when rats reported whether or not they were experiencing tinnitus. Ultimately, by comparing the neural activity before and after tinnitus induction, our ongoing studies seek to reveal the underlying cellular mechanisms that manifest as tinnitus.

Related to the above-mentioned experiments, our future studies will use our behavioural paradigm to evaluate whether a novel small molecule (patented by our collaborators) is able to protect against noise-induced hearing loss and tinnitus. It is crucial that preclinical research investigate newly developed pharmaceuticals, because, at present, there is no widely-accepted drug capable of protecting against trauma-induced tinnitus.

 

In closing, I wish to sincerely thank the Tinnitus Association of Southwestern Ontario and their many advocates for continued encouragement and support as my lab strives to better understand tinnitus pathophysiology and its prevention.

Kind regards, 
Brian L. Allman, PhD

 

Disclaimer:  

We have the right at any given time to direct any funds raised from fund raising efforts to,  but not:  limited to, Western University Shulich Medicine

All funds raised will go directly to Tinnitus Research to a credible Tinnitus Research facility/lab/institution

Our commitment to you ;100% of all funds raised will go to Tinnitus research & with each donation we will publicize where it was directed  to

HOPE from ADRIAN

A Message of HOPE from Adrian

OUR WORK

Our  Work 

ADVOCATING FOR OUR CANADIAN MILITARY
One of our Canadian Military men was suffer from severe Tinnitus. Tinnitus among our Military Vetereans is the # 1 PTD Symptom, When one of our Veterans were on the edge of no return, asking for help from the Veterans Affairs Ministry for his Tinnitus/Depression and was not being heard or helped after petitioning himself for months, We went to work. We petitioned in provinces with other veterans asking to help this fellow . We called for other Miliary Veterans to stand in solidarity and it happend. 

Our ANNUAL Online Auction
Start watching our auction page each

OCTOBER - DECEMBER
HELD ON FACEBOOK

NOV 27 - DEC 2, 2016 

Advocate.- Educate - Act

An Out Reach

Fight for a cure T-shirts
Contact us to get yours!
Available Protection !
We have you covered.
Contact us to order your set
$22.00

Handy ear plugs that come in a carrying case. Comes with 1 pr of plugs and 1 extra plug should you lose one. Very easy to put in quickly and take out. Very comfortable when inserted as they are pliable. Skin coloured therefore they blend in with your ear. You can still hear sound but it is buffered to prevent damage or tinniuts increasing. 

Our EVENTS

Past   Events

Adrian's Story

First but not last, Tinnitus Association of South Western Ontario Concert for Tinnitus Research

A huge success! Doug Varty - Shelly Rastin - Pete Denome & The Cosmic Cowboys headlined the day
We will be doing this again in 2018.   We "Made some Noise to find some Peace to Tinnitus"
*Ear plugs provided to cut Db if needed

ABOUT ME AND MY STORY ....so far....

 

If you are reading this then it is more than likely that you have been struck with the condition we know as Tinnitus, or you are close to someone that has the condition.

 

You will more than likely have already have been seeking "help" and looking for answers as to how you or someone close to you can find relief from "the Noise".

 

You probably have spoken to Doctors, had hearing tests, MRI scans amongst other medical procedures, and have not found much relief or indeed answers to the many questions that this conditions warrants.

 

On my channel I talk about my own Tinnitus, and how was able to go from

Level 10- Suicidal - to a Level 1 -2 to the present day where

I can now have days where I don't hear my tinnitus and have been able to live my life

while still having the condition and at times still suffer spikes.

 

But most importantly ... how I have been able to have periods of time the longest being

3 entire days and nights where my Tinnitus was removed from my conscious thought

completely and how you can achieve this state.

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Contact Us

CONTACT  US !

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