Nearly 36 million Americans suffer from tinnitus, a constant buzzing, roaring or chirping sound in the inner or outer ear. While some head noise is normal, individuals with severe tinnitus are plagued with incessant babble throughout their day. Routine activities such as checking one’s email and driving to the market become unbearably difficult and full of distractions. Many patients of this incurable disease fall into bouts of anxiety and depression.
What causes tinnitus?
Tinnitus is often caused by exposure to loud noises; musicians and army soldiers make up for a large percentage of its patients. Health experts predict an increase in tinnitus and other hearing-related diseases as a result of the popularity of noise-cancelling iPod earbuds which produce unhealthy levels of noise waves and may cause permanent ear damage.
Musicians warn teens to lower the volume
Most people are unaware of this affliction; many probably have it and didn’t realize they were not alone. Celebrities such as Wil.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas and William Shatner are trying to change all that.
Wil.i.am told the Sun that music is his only escape from the constant ringing of tinnitus; much of his success can be attributed to his inability to slow down.
Music is his only escape
“I don’t know what silence sounds like any more. Music is the only thing which eases my pain,” says the singer for the Black Eyed Peas.
Jack Black, famous for his rowdy rocker persona, also warns teens to protect their hearing in this YouTube video:
Heavy metal drummer Lars Ulrich of Metallica, who also suffers from tinnitus, delivers his speech on hearing loss in this video funded by H.E.A.R:
The Tinnitus Foundation released this montage of famous people with tinnitus, including Pete Townshend, David Letterman, Barbra Streisand and Ronald Reagan.
William Shatner and co-star Leonard Nimoy were often exposed to loud eruptions on the sets of the Star Trek films. In his video for the American Tinnitus Association, William Shatner describes an explosion during filming which forever altered his hearing ability.
Find your inner sanctum.
Tranquility with Tinnitus? Sounds like an oxymoron if there ever was one, but it’s no joke. Finding peace of mind with a constant ringing in your ear or some of the various other sounds associated with tinnitus might seem like a distant dream. Whooshing, clicks, cricket sounds- it seems like more than you can handle.
There might not be any outright cures for tinnitus in this day and age, but there are coping mechanisms to help you find peace of mind: meditation, homeopathic remedies…and faith.
Part I of Tranquility with Tinnitus will help you find your inner sanctuary from tinnitus using three relaxation techniques recommended by the Mayo Clinic.
Setting the Scenario
Begin by finding a nice warm, quiet room free of disturbances. If there is a telephone, disconnect it. Cover the television or computer with a small throw. Soften the lights, set up some soothing “white noise” like a gentle fan or relaxation CD. Take off your shoes, lay down on a mat or soft rug and begin…
1) Autogenic relaxation
Autogenic relaxation means looking inwards with your “third eye,” as it’s referred to in transcendental meditation.
- Slowly breathe in at the count of three;
- Hold the breathe for the count of three;
- Very slowly release your breathe at the count of six, imagining a balloon gently losing air through a pinhole.
- Concentrate on slowing your heartbeat.
- Make a mental checklist of any sensations, sounds or pains which are going through your body; recognize them, accept them and breathe towards them.
- Repeat a soothing mantra; use that mantra throughout the day anytime you feel stressed and feel and need to return to your “safe place.”
2) Progressive muscle relaxation
Progressive relaxation is a great way to give your muscles a massage from the inside. In times of acute anxiety a mini-PMR can be done inconspicuously at your desk or even while dining at a restaurant.
- Lie flat, getting yourself into a relaxed position.
- Will your muscles to let go, release tension.
- Direct your inner eye to your right foot; clench it tightly. Now, let go and feel the warmth as your muscles relax. Repeat with the left foot.
- Slowly and systematically work your way upwards, tightening and releasing your legs, abdominal muscles, chest, back, shoulders and arms.
- Much stress is stored in the head, so don’t neglect this vital area. Focus on your neck, jaws, cheeks, ears, eyes and forehead.
- Many find that PMR, with practice, brings on a deep sensation of euphoria and inner quietude.
3) Visualization
Another common practice is to use your imagination as a tool for relaxation; many meditation CD’s are available which will guide you through various exercises.
- Imagine yourself in your comfort zone; this could be anyplace that makes you feel happy and safe, such as the beach or a rustic woods. See the deep blue ocean, a purplish sunrise or emerald green pastures.
- Focus on all the sounds of your comfort zone; crashing waves, birds winging, etc.
- Now imagine tactile sensations, like the gentle breeze, woolly pine needles, or the warm sun on your face.
- Smell the salty ocean air or the deep incense of the forest.
Many tinnitus sufferers have found their symptoms lessened through practiced meditation. If you have a hectic schedule, try waking up a half-hour early and setting aside that time to meditate. Not only will it get your day off to a good start, it will also give you a sort of mental “home page” to go back to when things seem to be spiraling out of control.
Recommended reading: The Calm Technique: Meditation without Magic or Mysticism, by Paul Wilson
Sources:
Birmingham and District Tinnitus Group
Tinnitus relief can be obtained by utilizing Emotional Freedom Techniques (a.k.a. EFT). Some people find that stress aggravates their tinnitus symptoms. Therefore, alleviating stress by performing EFT will help clear up the tinnitus as well.
Acupuncturists have outlined energy pathways of the body, known as meridians. EFT requires a person to tap each one of ten points along these meridians. In addition to tapping, the person recites specific statements related to his emotions responsible for creating the stress.
Gary Craig founded the EFT method. When he was only 13 years old, he realized that his thoughts had a tremendous impact on the quality of his life. He concluded that the source of all negative emotions is a breakdown in the energy system, and then developed the EFT method based on this belief. The energy system referenced consists of the energy meridians used by acupuncturists. A single disturbance in one energy meridian allows feelings of hurt, shame and anxiety to develop. These negative emotions all contribute to stress, which can exacerbate a person’s tinnitus symptoms.
Through Emotional Freedom Techniques, a person is able to heal themselves, by clearing their minds of negative feelings, and thus help relieve the various noises of tinnitus.
This is how it works: You think about a negative memory or feeling. As you think about it, you formulate a statement relating to this. An example of a statement would be, “I am upset that my wife left me.” Then, you measure the strength of this memory or feeling based on a scale of 0 to 10.
The next step is to formulate a statement of acceptance. “Even though my wife left me, I fully accept myself.”
You tap three times on all the 10 EFT points while repeating this affirmation. These points include the beginning of eyebrow, chin, collar bone, top of head, under the eye, and others.
Following this procedure, you rate the intensity of this feeling a second time. Then, you repeat all these steps until the negative emotion is completely out of your system.
Since anxiety can exacerbate the symptoms of tinnitus, it follows that people with tinnitus should find Emotional Freedom Techniques helpful in obtaining tinnitus relief.
There are many people who crave tinnitus relief, and want the ringing of the ears to just go away. The tinnitus keeps these sufferers up at night, and prevents them from getting enough sleep.
How can these victims obtain tinnitus relief?
Rachel Meltzer in her article (Prevention; July, 2006), cites a study done at Washington University. Tinnitus sufferers were given 3 mg of melatonin each day for a month. (Melatonin is an amino acid, a natural remedy used to aid sleep.) The researchers interviewed the patients the following month, after they stopped taking the melatonin.
The participants in the study experienced a partial tinnitus relief. Their symptoms were reduced by 30%. Although their sleep improved in the first month of the study, they still continued to sleep better even when they were off the melatonin.
This study seems to imply that increasing the amount of sleep will help relieve tinnitus symptoms. However, whether melatonin is the best possible remedy is questionable.
We are the manufacturers of TinnitusDX, a dietary supplement that benefits people with tinnitus.
Tinnitus can emerge in any of the four sections of the hearing mechanism: the outer, middle and the inner ear, and the brain. Some tinnitus or head noise is normal for all individuals, so if one is placed in a sound proof booth, or is wearing very effective earplugs, he or she will become aware of these sounds. Tinnitus of course works on a different level of volume, which is the reason why it is so particularly bothersome. It is nearly impossible to drown out and/or ignore and it gets even louder when things quiet down.
The outer ear is not often the culprit in emergent tinnitus but some conditions are associated with this section of the ear and the buzzing symptoms. The two most common causes of the tinnitus symptoms due to outer ear problems are:
1) A build-up of earwax, or cerumen, in the ear canal which may irritate the hearing mechanisms
2) A narrowing or poorly shaped ear canal, which may affect the perception of sound
There are methods to deal with both of these types of causes making outer-ear tinnitus one of the most physically treatable. The middle ear, however, can harbor the roots of a much more complex tinnitus symptomatology, some of which may require the attention of your health care provider and possibly even further steps in terms of treatment, surgery not being entirely out of question. In most cases all of these causes may be resolved with adequate medical attention.
The Middle Ear Tinnitus Causes
1. Serous otitis media with fluid in the middle ear:
Otitis media is inflammation of the middle ear, or middle ear infection , it occurs in the area between the ear drum and the inner ear, including a duct known as the Eustachian tube. Otitis media is very common in childhood, with the average toddler having two to three episodes a year, almost always accompanied by the common cold. The rhinoviruses (nose viruses) that cause the common cold infect the Eustachian tube that goes from the back of the nose to the middle ear, causing swelling and compromise of pressure equalization, which is one of the normal function of the tube. The other main function is the lateral drainage of fluids from tissues on either side of the skull
2. Perforation of the ear drum
Perforated eardrum is a rip or perforation (hole) in the eardrum. It can occur due to an infection, trauma (by trying to clean the ear with sharp instruments), explosion, loud noise or an accidental surgical mistake. Flying with a severe cold can also cause perforation due to changes in air pressure and blocked Eustachian tubes. The perforation may heal in a few weeks, or up to a few months. Some perforations require intervention – this may be a simple procedure which uses a paper patch to promote healing, or surgery. In some cases the damage is unable to heal naturally and may require surgical attention.
3. Fixation or dissociation of the ossicular chain (the bones in the middle ear)
Ossicular chain dislocation may happen due to a fracture, tympanic membrane perforation, or trauma. The most common presentation of ossicular discontinuity is separation of several joints. Ossicular fixation may occur several months after the temporal bone fracture if exuberant growth of new bone at the fracture line fuses the ossicular chain. Treatment in any case is middle ear exploration and ossicular chain reconstruction.
4. Cholesteatoma (a pocket of the eardrum growing in the middle ear as a result of chronic ear infections)
Cholesteatoma is a destructive and expanding keratinizing squamous epithelium in the middle ear and there are two types: congenital and acquired. Acquired cholesteatomas is the more common and can be caused by a tear or retraction of the ear drum. Sometimes the disease may be congenital, when it grows from birth behind the eardrum.
5. Glomus tumor (a vascular tumor arising in the middle ear space)
A glomus tumor is a rare benign neoplasm, is a specialized arteriovenous anastomosis usually found in the skin of the extremities, arising from the glomus body. Research has indicated that there are at least four genetic mutations that lead to a glomus tumor. If there is no underlying inherited condition, then the tumor is considered “sporadic” or random. They are usually solitary and small, and can be found under the fingernail, but they can also be found on the tympanic membrane, which in turn causes middle ear damage and tinnitus. These lumps are often painful and tend to have a bluish discoloration, although sometimes they can present as white.
Tinnitus and diet do go hand in hand, as we have already noted. Some foods aggravate your tinnitus symptoms while others help them to calm down. In the world of nuts it is hard for a tinnitus sufferer to go wrong, as nearly all species are very beneficial for ear and general health (note: Peanuts are NOT actual nuts. We will explain why you should avoid them in a future post). Almonds are at the top of the list of nuts which are useful for the ringing and buzzing symptoms, as they poses an impressive arsenal of tinnitus-specific health benefits.
Sugars and Fats:
Sugar and fat ingestion and digestion result in specific enzymes being released by the body so absorption of these m
aterials can take place. These particular food components are one of the greatest culprits in tinnitus symptoms which emerge due to dietary intake. The breakdown of sugars, fats, cholesterol and carbs in the body can cause an impressive leap in the intensity of the symptoms.
The sweet almond itself contains practically no carbohydrates, and is gluten-free, and thus may be made into flour for low-carbohydrate diets, for patients suffering from diabetes mellitus or any other form of glycosuria and individuals with coeliac allergies. A standard serving of almond flour, 1 cup, contains 20 grams of carbs, of which 10 g is dietary fibre for a net of 10 g of carbohydrate. This makes almond flour very desirable for use in cake and bread recipes by people on carbohydrate-restricted diets. They are also rich in monounsaturated fat, one of the two “good” fats responsible for lowering LDL cholesterol.
A controlled trial showed that 73g of almonds in the daily diet reduced LDL cholesterol by as much as 9.4%, reduced the LDL:HDL ratio by 12.0%, and increased HDL-cholesterol by 4.6%.
Antioxidants:
Almonds are a rich source of Vitamin E, containing 24 mg per 100 g or 20% of the daily value in each serving. Vitamin E is actually 20 times stronger, as an antioxidant, than vitamin C. The antioxidants in the nut scavenge the toxic free radicals in the body which cause an increase in the tinnitus symptoms. As the body is cleansed the buzzing sounds should calm itself.
Stimulating the GI tract:
One of the health benefits of almonds is improved movement of food through the colon, as well as helping with the absorption of mineral and vitamin content of the food.
Supplementation of Vitamin/Mineral Deficiencies:
Calcium is greatly important to the strength of the bones, including the small bones of the ear.
Magnesium is necessary for the proper absorption of calcium and vitamin D
Zinc is leached from the system when magnesium is used, so to keep a balance the two should be eaten together. Zinc is also found in the highest concentration in the cochlea of the ear and studies have shown that individuals with tinnitus have less zinc in the system and in the structures of the inner ear.
Niacin pumps oxygen and nitric oxide throughout the system, clearing out the free radicals and delivering oxygen to areas of the body which may usually be starved for it.
Vitamin Bs deficiencies of any of the B vitamins can cause the symptoms of tinnitus to emerge
This nut can also be used externally to help with causes of objective tinnitus, such as build up of wax in the ear canal. Almond Oil is extracted by cold process and is considered a nutritive treatment both for external use and internal consumption. It can help with the safe removal of ear wax if a little is dripped inside the ear daily. Recent studies have shown that almond oil has anti-inflammatory, immunity boosting, and anti-hepatotoxicity effects.
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.
Tinnitus maskers are devices used to add natural or artificial sound into the environment of an individual suffering with tinnitus. They are used in suppressing or masking the perceived ringing of the patient.
Tinnitus maskers increase the amount and volume of sound in the environment and allow the brain to re-perceive the ringing in the sufferers head with a calming, less intrusive sound. It’s comparable to an individual trying to read or study or even have a phone conversation in a room with another person speaking directly at them, or as in a noisy study hall or airport, club or restaurant. The brain is able to filter out the unnecessary noise when, interestingly, there is more of it.
Tinnitus maskers are most often used when trying to sleep, as the quiet of the environment makes the symptoms all the more noticeable. Commonly a tinnitus masker is a CD/MP3 recordings or a noise generator which produce either natural noises like the ocean or rain, synthetic sounds such as white noise, or in more advanced models a combination of natural and synthetic noises calibrated to suppress specific frequencies of the experienced symptoms.
This method can be used very effectively with sound pillows, as they contain small embedded speakers, which help masking the tinnitus of the individual without causing disturbance to their partner. However, some individuals who have extremely intense tinnitus symptoms require a tinnitus masker which works around the clock. For these cases a wearable hearing-aid type device is available, which will either amplify ambient sound, generate synthetic sound or combine the two.
Tinnitus maskers can be an excellent “first-aid” treatment for tinnitus symptoms, as any alleviation of the buzzing and ringing can be a comfort. It allows the individual to become less tense, and as stress is a huge factor in the emergence and severity of the symptoms, the relaxation too should help to lessen the intensity of the perceived noise. When these maskers are used in tinnitus retraining therapy (TRT), especially in a clinical setting, they can be as much as 95% effective in completely masking the symptoms.
However, as phenomenally helpful as these items are, they also may hinder the healing progress. Although it alleviates the symptoms during the time it’s used, the individual still continues to suffer from the tinnitus symptoms, as none of the many root causes of tinnitus are addressed or treated with this method. Some researchers also say that completely masking the symptoms may be counterproductive and may result in the brain beginning to focus the perception on the tinnitus symptoms despite the background noise.
Tinnitus maskers are best used in conjunction with any tinnitus treatment therapy. Whether you opt for the use of supplements like TinnitusDX or medications like tricyclics or lignocaine, cognitive-behavioural therapy or TRT, the maskers can assist with overwhelming symptoms as the therapy starts to work or in the case of an unexpected episode. They can be a tremendous helping hand in the success on tinnitus treatment and therapy by bringing a quick and comforting relief to a patient with little hope.
