Tinnitus is not a single disease but a complication/symptom of an underlying bodily condition – aging, allergy, blood circulation problems, and thyroid problems – and maybe caused by a variety of synthetic medications such as anti-inflammatory medicines, antibiotics, sedatives, anti-depressants, and aspirin that an individual under medical condition (such Meniere syndrome) might be taking.

According to the British Medical Journal (2009), it is very common symptom for 1 out of 5 people in Britain have tinnitus. Additionally, Dr. Timothy C. Hain of Chicago Dizziness and Hearing stated in his web article Tinnitus that nearly 36 million Americans has constant tinnitus and more than half of the population has periodic tinnitus.

Whether you or one of those whom you know belongs in the statistics, you might be interested to learn the common, cost-efficient, and effective tinnitus remedies. Generally, after careful evaluation, most doctors, based on the identifiable causes, would recommend or prescribe the essential treatment; or synthetic medicine that could help relieve the recurring "discomfort", that many tinnitus sufferers have to live with.

One of the most common prescriptions for treating tinnitus is niacin (nicotinic acid, vitamin B3), an essential dietary supplement believed to "produced transitory flushing effect that is supposed to pump more oxygen into the inner ear due to vasodilation", says Mark Bixby from the Tinnitus FAQ.

However, a lot of disclaimers repudiate the fact that niacin helps alleviate the occurrence of tinnitus and that, a seemingly popular prescription or treatment to one may not be effective to another and these contributes to the waning of synthetic medicines' credibility.

Many tinnitus sufferers have been trying everything within their capacity and reach to find the cure (as well as prevention) for the "phantom ordeal" they are going through inside their ears. So why not try the following holistic and alternative remedies for tinnitus rather than taking the "conventional" or allopathic" medicines that most medical practitioners (MD's) prescribed.

One or two of these alternative (at times known as complementary or natural) cures may very well relieve you of your pain.

Holistic and Alternative Remedies

1. Counseling – Living a life with tinnitus is no less an emotionally taxing experience. Counselors or joining a support group can offer emotional support if we seek their help.

2. Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT) – It is a counseling to teach tinnitus sufferers to learn how to center their attention from the antagonizing consequences of tinnitus.

The Department of Veteran Affairs supervised the clinical study using this therapy wherein the results indicated that such therapy is effective than the traditional counseling or non-treatment for it utilizes a accurate and individual combination of sound therapy and teaching, demystification (clarifying) or learning about tinnitus' and  hyperacusis' mechanisms, with guidance about how to return to normal life's activity with less or without provoking symptoms.

3. Nutrition – Tinnitus sufferers are advised to avoid foods that are know to make tinnitus worse such as alcohol, caffeine, salt and excessive amounts of refined sugar.

Regularly chewing dried fruit helps increase ear circulation and might help some tinnitus sufferers. Eating pineapple more frequently can help reduce inflammation. Plenty of garlic, kelp and sea vegetables is also recommended to include in your diet.

4. Herbal medicine – There are a lot of herbs that are known as tinnitus remedies (or prevent the worsening of the condition). "Gingko biloba helps to reduce dizziness and improve hearing loss related to reduce blood flow to the ears", according to Homemade Medicine, a website on treating tinnitus with home remedies.

Other herbs that are known to counter act infection are bayberry bark, burdock root, goldenseal, and hawthorn leaf and flower. There is also the myrrh gum that purifies the blood.

There are a variety of alternative and healthcare treatments available, but tinnitus sufferers are advised to seek their physician's advised before deciding what course of treatment to pursue.