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Tinnitus is a Latin word meaning ringing, in particular a ringing in the ears even though there are no exterior sounds causing it. Finding a remedy for tinnitus has eluded doctors. It is a condition affecting around 12 million Americans.

Tinnitus isn't classified as a disease. It is seen to be a symptom of other illness, including an ear infection or an object in the ear, or even heavy wax buildup. Allergies can also be a cause. Tinnitus can appear in the elderly as a component of becoming older, as a side effect to medication, or be inherited hearing loss. Doctors believe that most times tinnitus is caused by a high volume noise, like a gunshot, either a one off or many times.

Ear ringing can be exceptionally aggravating for a person who suffers from it. Often, the sound reported by sufferers is a ringing noise, but there are sufferers who hear high-pitched whining, buzzing, hissing, rushing, screaming, humming or whistling sounds. Some even say the noises sound like crickets, songs, beeps, a roaring or ocean waves.

A well known health web site believes that a drug used to keep alcoholics away from drink has been seen to be helpful as a remedy for tinnitus patients. In July of 2004, the U. S. FDA approved acamprosate, branded CampralA for treating alcohol-dependent people. 2 Brazilian researchers then found that the drug also worked very well for tinnitus.

The American Tinnitus Association has published a listing of remedies for tinnitus, however they warn that not one of the listed options is capable of curing everyone. They advise supplements like zinc or Ginkgo Biloba and some even homeopathy, hypnosis, cranio-sacral therapy, acupuncture, and magnets!

A portion of tinnitus sufferers gain respite with hearing aids. These people must have some amount of loss of hearing stemming from the original issue. Occasionally, a cochlear implant can be threaded into the ear, assisting deaf or partially deaf people to hear again.

Various drugs have been experimented with to relieve ear ringing. However there is no one that has been shown to specifically treat it. The drugs that have been looked into include anti-anxiety drugs like Xanax, antidepressants, antihistamines, anticonvulsants, and anesthetics. All were somewhat beneficial for a portion of the afflicted people.

Many people find it very challenging to sleep with tinnitus. Experts suggest that using a fan, playing a radio at a low volume or using a white noise machine can be used. Imbibing a lot of coffee or tea or other caffeinated drinks is not a great idea, since caffeine is believed to make the symptoms worse. Avoiding caffeine is recommended. The same applies to taking aspirin in large quantities.

Health professionals warn that any further hearing loss can exacerbate the tinnitus. Therefore they recommend patients stay away from being in situations with loud noises, like gigs. There are certain rarer cases where the tinnitus has been initiated by a tumor or aneurysm. Doctors may decide to operate on them. However a large problem with this is that although it could remove the tumor it does not always alleviate the tinnitus. Though it is the case some people have experienced some relief of their symptoms because of such operations.