First of all, what is tinnitus? It is a perception of sound in proximity to the head in the absence of an external source. It can be perceived as being within one or both ears, within or around the head, or as an outside distant noise. The sound is often a buzzing, ringing, or hissing, although it can also sound like other noises.
According to the American Tinnitus Association, an estimated 50 million people in the United States have chronic ringing, persisting for greater than six months. For 12 million people, it is severe enough to interfere with daily activities. These people are effectively disabled by this noise to varying degrees. Furthermore, there is no cure for this ringing in the ears. Rather physicians aim at improving the quality of life and lessening the impact on their patients. Since there is no clear cut way to treat tinnitus, many people find themselves spending thousands of their hard earned money on treatments that did not help and did not last.
So how are physicians trying to treat tinnitus today? In most cases, there is no specific way. If your otolaryngologist finds a specific cause of your ringing, he or she may be able to eliminate the noise. But, this determination may require extensive testing including x-rays, balance tests, and laboratory work. However, most causes cannot be identified. Occasionally, medicine may help treat tinnitus, but a number of medications that have been studied in patients were found to be not effective. Furthermore, there are side-effects to these medications.
Goals of trying to treat tinnitus are to lessen its disabling impact on life rather than to achieve absolute cure for the noise. Some factors that are associated with sufferers include depression, insomnia (inability to fall asleep), vascular abnormalities, presbycusis (hearing loss due to aging) and other hearing loss, and ototoxic medications (medications that damage hearing).
So what are the medical treatments now? Below is a list:
--Behavioral therapies
--Retraining therapy
--Masking techniques such as maskers which can be combined within hearing aids
--Biofeedback and stress reduction
--Cognitive behavioral therapy
--Electrical stimulation
--Acupuncture
--Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS)
--Herbal remedies
--Vitamins and minerals
--Ear surgery such as cochlear implants
What can you do yourself to get rid of the noise in your ears? Here are some tips that will probably not treat tinnitus but will lessen the severity of it:
--Avoid exposure to loud sounds and noises
--Get your blood pressure checked. If it is high, get your doctor's help to control it
--Decrease your intake of salt. Salt impairs blood circulation
--Avoid stimulants such as coffee, tea, cola, and tobacco
--Exercise daily to improve your circulation
--Get adequate rest and avoid fatigue
--Stop worrying about the noise. Recognize your head noise as an annoyance and learn to ignore it as much as possible.
There is no cure-all medicine and in fact most chronic sufferers will require more than one approach to treat tinnitus. Instead of spending thousands of dollars on invasive procedures and medications that will give you side-effects, I think getting all the facts from a person who truly suffered from ringing is a good idea and definitely will not hurt. Thomas Coleman, a nutrition consultant, health specialist, medical analyst and a former victim has written an e-book called Tinnitus Miracle that has impacted thousands of people. He, like many others, suffered years from constant noise in ears. He ultimately found a way to heal his ringing holistically. Coleman's Tinnitus Miracle is based on his 14 years of diligent research work on proven techniques that have worked for thousands of men and women sufferers. The e-book uses a 3 step multi-dimensional approach focusing not only on the body but the mind as well.
