New review examines psilocybin's potential to treat chronic tinnitus
A new review just looked into whether psilocybin, the active ingredient in magic mushrooms, could be a game-changer for people with chronic tinnitus.
Tinnitus, which causes nonstop ringing or buzzing in the ears, affects more than one in 10 people and doesn't have a cure yet.
Psilocybin alters auditory processing in mice
Early studies suggest psilocybin might help by resetting how the brain processes sound.
In mice, it changed how their brains filtered out repetitive noises (which is a big deal for tinnitus).
Psilocybin also interacts with brain chemicals like GABA that control nerve activity, something that goes haywire in tinnitus.
While there aren't any human trials yet, researchers are hopeful since psilocybin has already shown promise for things like depression and anxiety.
More research is definitely needed, but this could open up new hope for millions dealing with constant ear noise.