Millions of Americans suffer from tinnitus, a condition which is described as constant ringing in the ears. No tinnitus cure exists, but some remedies and life changes are helpful for coping with tinnitus symptoms.
This year, Tinnitus Awareness Week falls on May 15-21.
About 50 million Americans experience tinnitus hearing loss, but not all of them realize it or are bothered by it. The severity of tinnitus symptoms can range according to the level of ear damage or neurological disorder. Some tinnitus patients may report a mild buzzing in one ear, while chronic tinnitus sufferers may be plagued with loud phantom tinnitus noises in one or both ears. Frequency, volume and pitch differs by patient, as well as the type of sound described by various sufferers.
Tinnitus Retraining Therapy: the Sounds of Silence
Noises which have been attributed to tinnitus symptoms include:
- ringing
- screeching
- buzzing
- whooshing
- roaring
- chirping
- clicking
- hissing
Another phenomenon associated with tinnitus are auditory hallucinations, or musical ear syndrome, which have been described as familiar singing or speech sounds when none exist. Tinnitus patients have admitted to noticing and sometimes enjoying musical interludes, only to discover later that it was all in their heads. It’s important to note that these phantom sounds are neurologically based, and not in any way a symptom of mental illness.
Objective Tinnitus: It’s Not All in your Head
How is tinnitus caused?
Most people think that tinnitus and other hearing-related disorders are symptoms of old age; this is often the case, but a significant percentage of hearing loss also exists among children and young adults.
Besides hearing loss among the elderly, tinnitus symptoms are also caused by:
- Inner ear damage caused by loud noises and frequent in-ear headphone usage
- Chronic ear infections
- Jaw strain
- Drug interactions
- Eardrum damage caused by cotton swabs or other foreign objects
- Meniere’s disease
- Premature birth
- Excess earwax
- Family history
How can I prevent tinnitus?
Most of the causes of tinnitus are avoidable. Some good preventative measures go a long way towards preventing tinnitus and other forms of hearing loss.
- Always wear ear protection if you work in a noisy environment or attend frequent concerts.
- Wear swimmer’s ear plugs.
- Avoid in-ear style ear buds when listening to music.
- Keep the volume at a moderate level.
- Consult in your doctor before trying any new pain medications.
- Clean ears frequently by wiping with a soft cloth.
- Never stick cotton swabs or other pointy objects in your ears.
- Practice relaxation methods to avoid jaw tension.
5 Mistakes Tinnitus Sufferers Make
Confused about how much noise is considered too loud?
The NIDCD (National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders) offers a handy Interactive Sound Ruler on their website to help you understand the difference between healthy volumes and eardrum-splitting noise decibel levels.
For more information on tinnitus, read:
When Children Suffer Tinnitus and Hearing Loss
Coming Soon: iPod Device to Treat Tinnitus
Sources:
http://pain.com/library/2011/05/16-tinnitus-awareness-week/
http://www.hearinglosshelp.com/articles/mes.htm
http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/education/decibel/decibel.asp
Tinnitus is a condition which causes constant ringing in the ears; while in some cases “phantom” tinnitus symptoms are neurologically based, other tinnitus causes involve tinnitus sounds which can be heard by a tinnitus specialist.
What is tinnitus?
Tinnitus is a hearing loss related disorder which affects millions of Americans. Although not a disease, tinnitus symptoms are caused by an underlying medical condition. Tinnitus sufferers hear constant ear ringing that is unrelated to any actual noise outside their bodies. Tinnitus sounds are described as ringing, clicking, roaring, buzzing or chirping sounds. Severity of the tinnitus symptoms determines the frequency, pitch and volume of the tinnitus noises.
What are the causes of tinnitus?
Tinnitus symptoms can arise from a variety of causes. In fact, there are hundreds of medications which are known to contribute to tinnitus.
Tinnitus is caused by:
- Age related hearing loss
- Noise induced damage to the inner ear, usually from long-term exposure to dangerously high noise levels, including loud music through iPod ear buds, manufacturing job shop noises, engines and explosions.
- Excessive ear wax
- Puncturing of the ear drum with a cotton swab or other foreign object
- Drug interactions, such as birth control, antibiotics, quinine, antidepressants and anti-inflammatories
- Medical conditions like Meniere’s disease, Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (TMJ) or chronic ear infections
- Also read: Which Came First- Tinnitus or Hearing Loss?
What is the difference between objective tinnitus and subjective tinnitus?
Subjective tinnitus emanates from the inner ear and is only heard by the tinnitus patient. Most cases of chronic tinnitus are subjective, and are believed to be caused by neurological disorders involving the cochlea of the inner ear and its communication with brain circuits which are responsible for interpreting sounds.
Objective tinnitus involves audible clicking sounds which are caused by bone structure near the inner ear. Tinnitus specialists are usually able to hear small noises caused by objective tinnitus. Objective tinnitus is the less common than subjective tinnitus.
Stop that Ringing in your Ears: Get Tinnitus Treatment Now
What tinnitus treatments are effective for curing tinnitus?
There are no known tinnitus cures which can stop tinnitus symptoms forever, but many promising herbs for tinnitus have been proven helpful for alleviating ear ringing and providing measured relief from chronic tinnitus.
- Ginkgo Biloba has been scientifically proved as an effective natural remedy for tinnitus, and is one of many nutrients which are combined in many tinnitus medications to treat the symptoms which cause tinnitus, such as high blood pressure, inflammation and constricted blood vessels.
- Tinnitus retraining therapy uses environmental background noise to banish tinnitus sounds. Tinnitus Retraining Therapy: the Sounds of Silence
- Hearing aids help with tinnitus symptoms which are caused by hearing loss.
- Tinnitus maskers are wearable devices which provide tinnitus relief by competing with tinnitus ear ringing. Tinnitus Maskers: Relief is on the Way
- For more information on treatment of tinnitus, read The Many Causes of Tinnitus.
Sources:
Scientists have been trying to develop a tinnitus cure for the characteristically annoying ringing in the ears associated with tinnitus practically since the first caveman clubbed himself on top of the head to stop tinnitus buzzing sounds from driving him crazy. Over the years, some promising tinnitus remedies have given tinnitus sufferers relief, but as of yet no actual tinnitus cure exists to permanently stop tinnitus in its tracks.
Enter melatonin.
According to a study, researchers from Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis found a correlation between the melatonin hormone and decreased tinnitus symptoms. Melatonin is produced by the brain to regulate our sleeping patterns; doctors often prescribe melatonin pills for patients with sleep disorders such as insomnia. Scientists believe that by guaranteeing a better night’s sleep, melatonin has the potential to significantly help tinnitus patients.
What are the symptoms of tinnitus?
Tinnitus is not a disease, but rather a hearing-related condition which affects millions of Americans. Tinnitus symptoms are constant noises in the ears, unrelated to any actual noises in the environment, and not heard by anybody else. These tinnitus “phantom” sounds are described as ringing, buzzing, roaring, clicking, chirping or screaming noises. Volume and frequency can vary in relation to the severity of the condition. Some tinnitus causes are old age, noise-induced inner ear damage, drug interactions and chronic ear infections.
Research points to melatonin for tinnitus treatment
- The study, which was published in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, focused on 18 elderly individuals who suffered from chronic tinnitus symptoms.
- Participants were questioned about the severity of their tinnitus symptoms and their regular sleep patterns.
- Scientists prescribed 3mg. of melatonin every day over the course of 4 weeks.
- Tinnitus patients were monitored during the 4 week course of melatonin, and for an additional 4 weeks following treatment.
- All of the elderly tinnitus patients reported that they slept better while taking the melatonin pills and also experienced fewer and less severe tinnitus ringing in the ears.
- Even 4 weeks after stopping the melatonin medication, participants said they continued to enjoy significant tinnitus relief, leading researchers to conclude that prescribing melatonin as a tinnitus medication could have some long-lasting benefits as a remedy for tinnitus caused by poor sleep.
5 Mistakes Tinnitus Sufferers Make
Stop the tinnitus circle
Constant ringing in the ears, clicking and buzzing sounds, and ear discomfort can make it difficult to get to sleep. Tinnitus patients often report become woken up in the middle of the night by loud roaring sounds; by morning they are fatigued and restless. Chronic tinnitus sufferers go through stages of deep depression, resulting from lack of sleep and desperation at not being able to find a cure for the tinnitus symptoms that torment them. Poor sleep leads to nervousness and anxiety, which in turn heighten the severity of the tinnitus symptoms, and the circle continues.
6 Anxiety Busting Tricks- Try Them Now!
While melatonin pills are helpful for providing more restful sleep to tinnitus patients, only a reduction of the symptoms which cause the tinnitus can effectively alleviate tinnitus for good. Exercise, meditation, and tinnitus retraining therapy have been proven beneficial for providing tinnitus relief. Also, increasing blood flow to the brain and flushing toxins are essential steps towards alleviating tinnitus. Dietary supplements containing vinpocetine, Alpha Lipoic Acid, niacin and folic acid have been tested by scientists and proven to be effective tinnitus remedies.
Also read:
Stop that Ringing in your Ears: Get Tinnitus Treatment Now
Tinnitus Retraining Therapy: the Sounds of Silence
Sources:
The TinnitusDX formula provides a highly effective and fully comprehensive synergistic blend of vitamin and mineral supplements, combined with carefully matched homeopathic medicines to create a one-of-a-kind type treatment for any and all symptoms of tinnitus. 
What makes this tinnitus formula so extraordinary is that it is designed to address nearly all the possible causes of the tinnitus symptoms while also being mindful of what type of treatment any individual’s body could respond to best. The makers of this tinnitus formula believe, due to a substantial amount of peer-reviewed research, that the tinnitus symptoms are multi-causal – in other words, they rarely stem from just one root cause. Any combination of physical trauma, lifestyle choices and certain disorders can be the true cause of your tinnitus symptoms. The TinnitusDX formula is literally able to treat nearly every single cause, without competing with itself, or damaging your body. And as a bonus as the symptoms begin to wane, it is very likely that your general well-being will be increasing along. After all, this unique tinnitus therapy is designed to treat vitamin deficiencies, metabolic disorders, toxicity of the body, some traumas and even the effects of aging, and all of this is done without the use of dangerous and potentially addictive drugs.
On a weekly basis we will discuss an ingredient of this tinnitus relief formula, where you will be able to see what laboratory research has been saying not only about the effects of the element on tinnitus symptoms but also find out exactly why it may be so helpful.
We will begin with the vitamin A, a necessary component of a healthy diet which can be found in most
green vegetables like kale and broccoli and some yellow/orange fruit like apricots and mango. Vitamin A is extremely important for the health of one’s vision, skin, bones, heart, the immune system and the body’s antioxidant activity to name a few.
It’s importance in tinnitus is multileveled, vitamin A is firstly involved in the growth and repair of epithelial cells, which form the stomach lining, the glands and various bodily tissues as well as the production of membranes of the myelin sheath, which coat the nerves and allow for correct conduction of message. Without healthy epithelial cells tinnitus can be caused either by malabsorption in the stomach, poor gland secretion and a number of other causes which will be discussed in a separate article. The healthy myelin coating is necessary for the correct conduction of neural signals and messages, including those involved in hearing. A vitamin A deficiency can easily be a reason for emerging tinnitus symptoms.
Dr. Shambaugh, the son of the founder of the American Board of Otolaryngology had said “all special sensory receptor cells, including the retina of the eye and the hair cells of the inner ear, depend upon vitamin A … to function properly. He also noted that Vitamin A is found in high concentrations in the cochlea. Certain studies showed that people who are exposed to a lot of noise and have symptoms of tinnitus show much lower levels of vitamin A than individuals with no hearing concerns. This means that tinnitus can be caused by a vitamin A deficiency but also that this deficiency could be caused by high levels of noise in one’s environment.
Studies about vitamin A and tinnitus symptoms say that
A dose of vitamin A was administered to 30 patients with progressive hearing loss, twice a week for a period of six weeks. The patients who responded positively received further treatment during 22 more weeks, or as long as it took to achieve the maximum gain in hearing ability. In the first six weeks 83% of the patients responded positively to the Vitamin A treatments. Participants reported that both conductive and perceptive hearing loss improved. Individuals with dysfunctions in the conductive system including otosclerosis responded more swiftly when compared to individuals without such disorders. Of the 30 participants 23 also suffered from tinnitus, and 17 (74%) reported an improvement of their tinnitus. Dramatic improvement of tinnitus was noted in 15 patients.
Lobel M. J. Clinical studies with parenteral vitamin A therapy in deafness: preliminary report Eye Ear Nose Throat Mon. 1949 May;28(5):213-9
Vitamin A was used in a study of endogenous inner ear hearing loss, presbyacusis, Meniere’s disease and in acoustic neuroma. The group consisted of 103 participants. Results showed some improvement in pure-tone hearing. An improvement of 38% was noted in pure-tone hearing and 39% improvement was noted in speech perception. Accompanying tinnitus also benefited from the Vitamin A therapy. Tinnitus perception was reduced by an average of 39%, and 27% of the participants reported a total disappearance of all tinnitus symptoms. Thus vitamin A may be recommended as a treatment for the treatment of inner ear hearing loss and tinnitus.
Nager G. Results of vitamin A (Arovit-Roche) therapy of inner ear hearing disorders and tinnitus. Pract Otorhinolaryngol (Basel). 1952;14(3):129-57.
Alpha Lipoic Acid
Blood toxicity can result from diet, age, illness and medication. Bodily toxicity is best addressed by a regiment of antioxidants which clear the system. A Duke University Study on supplementation with Alpha Lipoic Acid showed that it prevented toxicity damage during clinical trials for all participants.
