40 Years of Helping Patients Manage "Ringing in the Ears" and Funding Research Toward A Cure
The American Tinnitus Association kicks off 2011 with a major milestone - 40 years helping patients with ringing in the ears. This 40 anniversary celebration will be commemorated with special events all year long.
The advances in understanding the neuroscience behind tinnitus are growing by the day, giving real hope of a quiet tomorrow for tinnitus patients everywhere," said Michael Malusevic, ATA Executive Director. Our hope is to exponentially increase tinnitus awareness across the U.S. and around the world to match the ever-growing need of its inevitable cure, said Malusevic.
Tinnitus has been the number one service connected disability for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans for the past three years. "The increases in veterans claiming disability for tinnitus is astounding," said Gary P. Reul, Ed.D, Chair of ATA's board of directors. "Something that people are very shocked to find out is that at the end of 2009, the Department of Veterans Affairs paid out $1.1 billion for disability compensation to veterans for tinnitus alone;at that rate of increase, we will be paying out $2.26 billion annually by 2014 with just a little over $10 million available to fund research toward a tinnitus cure," continued Reul. "Even after 40 years people don't understand what a disabling condition tinnitus can be and how many people in the U.S. and worldwide are affected," he concluded.
50 million Americans experience tinnitus and of those, 16 million have sought medical attention for the ringing in their ears. Currently there is no cure for tinnitus, though there are some management strategies that help some patients live better with their tinnitus. ATA's own research grant program started in 1980 and since then the organization has contributed millions of dollars in seed grants to tinnitus investigators to help them prove their theories. "What we have learned about tinnitus and the non-auditory structures of the brain that may be involved has really opened up the field to new ideas and research," said Anthony T. Cacace, Ph.D., Chair of ATA's Scientific Advisory Committee. He added, "The funds that ATA is able to award directly to tinnitus investigators have greatly assisted in the ground-breaking discoveries related to tinnitus over the past three decades. Without ATA's contribution, the field may have not advanced as quickly as it has."
40 Years of Progress Toward a Tinnitus Cure
ATA's 40th Anniversary will include exciting events all year long including but not limited to:
The Jack Vernon Walk to Silence Tinnitus - This national fundraiser, in its third year, will be held in Portland, Ore. on June 25, 2011. This fun event allows individuals to participate in person in Portland or virtually, online at walk.ata.org. This year's event is doubly important as it is the first year we will be holding the event in memory of our co-founder, Jack A. Vernon, Ph.D. who passed away in November 2010. All proceeds from the event will be 100% restricted to funding tinnitus research.
The first-ever AZ Walk to Silence Tinnitus - This fundraiser will be held on March 5, 2011 in Scottsdale, Ariz., and is the first-ever satellite event in the southwest to compliment the national fundraising walk held in June. There will be a community Expo that morning, as well as the night before, with restaurants, retails businesses, music and fun for the kids!
National Tinnitus Awareness Week - Restoring Silence: One Decade at a Time - This year's National Tinnitus Awareness Week will be held May 15-21, 2011. ATA will be creating a section on their website dedicated to ways that individuals can help raise tinnitus awareness in their own communities and other fun educational activities for the whole family! What began as Tinnitus Awareness Day in 2003, grew to be a week by May of 2004, and has continued, for the past six years, to be a national effort. Tinnitus Awareness Week complements ATA's year-round advocacy efforts and, most importantly, the need for increased funding for tinnitus research.
Celebrity Memorabilia Auction - ATA will hold its second annual online memorabilia auction of exciting items signed by athletes, musicians, and celebrities. The auction will include items from NFL Hall of Famer Gale Sayers, MLB Hall of Famers Rickey Henderson, Rollie Fingers, and Fergie Jenkins, and musicians such as Grammy nominees, The Black Keys. All proceeds will be dedicated 100% to tinnitus research. Check out what ATA had to offer in its 2010 auction.
For more information on these events and other 40th anniversary events throughout the year stay tuned to ATA.org.
Taken from www.ata.org/40.
