Tinnitus is a condition with varying degrees of intensity which very simply described means unexplained noises in the ears. Usually a ringing or swishing sound, it can be constant or intermittent. It is exceedingly unpleasant. Once diagnosis has been confirmed the victims' prime aim in life frequently becomes the search for a meaningful and lasting release from the noises – they want and need tinnitus relief - and soon.

Tinnitus has many causes which can make diagnosis of the precise cause very difficult. Often the only way to discover the cause, believe it or not, ends up being a personally managed trial and error regime, but more on that in a moment.

Medical professionals will offer a range of possible suggestions but at the end of the day it's inevitably down to the sufferer to take action personally to find the tinnitus relief. Which I suspect is the reason why you are reading this paper; you want to take some personal action to obtain relief from those maddening noises. As a past sufferer myself I know that feeling very well indeed.

Let's consider the good news shall we?

• Tinnitus noise is rarely a symptom of a life-threatening condition - nevertheless at the onset of any lasting unidentifiable noise in the ears you must seek professional medical advice.

• Although tinnitus is not generally very painful it can be exceedingly frustrating and maddening to the sufferer.  Although we are told an outright easy cure may be still a long way off there are actually huge numbers of examples of lasting tinnitus relief and cures. And there are many books on the subject written by past sufferers.

• So you needn't be frustrated or discouraged with the medical establishment's somewhat apathetic attitude towards tinnitus - while medicine hasn't been able to decipher causes and treatments for tinnitus, there are many strategies and alternative methods for reducing the effects of this disturbing condition.

• Where traditional prescribed medicines have failed, natural or holistic methods have been successful. There is much documented evidence and examples of holistic treatment bringing lasting tinnitus relief.

The answer for many of us has been to use alternative treatments. Whenever "alternative method" is used to alleviate any illness the place to start is to understand and trust what this means. It's basically that your whole person and well being has an effect on your overall health and without doubt this is particularly true with ailments such as tinnitus where the actual cause is difficult or impossible to determine.

Many victims find a link between tinnitus symptoms and diet. Caffeine and alcohol are common culprits. This could be because these substances affect the nervous system and our hearing is essentially a function of the nervous system. This may also be because alcohol and caffeine deplete magnesium. Magnesium depletion has been found to be a factor in noise-induced hearing loss, which, in turn is a factor in developing tinnitus.