Cure for tinnitus has a nice ring to it

Relief could soon be on the way for sufferers of tinnitus, the annoying and occasionally debilitating persistent ringing in some people’s ears, according to a new study that found that stimulating a nerve in the neck might “reboot” the defective auditory neurons responsible for the buzz. Persistent tinnitus affects around 23 million American adults. Exposure to extremely loud noises is the most common cause, and frequent exposure over long periods of time can accumulate damage.

When audio-sensing cells of the ear become damaged, they send faulty signals to the brain that result in a constant high-pitched ringing.