What is Tinnitus and How is it Treated?

Firstly, what is tinnitus?

Tinnitus is a common condition in which the affected person hears sounds which have no external source. To some degree, these sounds can be considered to be normal. Most people will have experienced a ringing in their ears after being exposed to loud noise or when they are in an extremely quiet environment where all outside noise is excluded.

Other people experience these sounds constantly. Either one or both ears may be affected. The most common sound experienced is a high-pitched ringing. Others report hearing sounds variously described as beeping, roaring, hissing, whistling or clicking.

In mild cases, the symptoms can often be ignored, and have little impact on daily life. In more severe cases it can have a serious impact on the patients quality of life, and makes it very difficult to function normally. The term Tinnitus normally only refers to these more severe cases.

How is it treated?

There are a number of conventional and alternative treatments available for tinnitus. Which one is most suited to your particular case depends on whether you can discover a treatable cause to your problem.

The more treatable causes include:

• A build up of wax blocking the ear canal
• Ear infections Sinus problems, causing pressure on the middle ear
• High blood pressure High levels of stress or anxiety - taking regular exercise, learning relaxation techniques, vitamin B supplements and certain herbs including valerian, passionflower and chamomile can help to lower stress levels
• Caffeine - try lowering your intake to see if this has an impact on your symptoms
• There are over 200 medications which list tinnitus as a possible side effect.Discuss any medications you may be taking with your doctor.

In the majority of cases, however tinnitus treatments do not completely eliminate the symptoms. It is often only possible to manage the condition to make it easier to live with.

The most common cause of tinnitus is hearing loss. This may be either age related or due to exposure to excessive noise. In the absence of external sound, the brain can often generate a perception of sound to compensate.

In this case, wearing a hearing aid can help to reduce the effects. Also try to avoid noisy situations which may be aggravating the problem or if this is not possible, wear proper hearing protection.

Tinnitus maskers work along the same lines as a hearing aid, by providing a background noise which reduces the perception of the tinnitus sound. Although the results are only temporary, they provide the most immediate form of relief.

Natural Treatments For Tinnitus Prove to Be Very Effective

Because there is a distinct lack of effective medical treatment for tinnitus, those who suffer from this condition turn to natural treatments such as acupuncture and herbs. There are also a number of home remedies for tinnitus as well.

A very important point to note is that tinnitus itself is not a condition: it is a symptom of a pre-existing condition such as a previous trauma or stress. To this effect, natural treatments may take longer to work because they occur naturally, i.e. they are not induced treatments.

Acupuncture is a very popular form of alternative natural treatment. Needles are inserted at distinct points around the ear for a few minutes. After a few treatments most patients feel some progress.

Herbal treatments are commonly used in tinnitus therapy. However, herbal treatments do not permanently treat the tinnitus as they do not treat the root cause. They offer the patient some relief, albeit temporary. Herbal treatments are one of the more cheaper forms of treatment. When combined with other treatments, they prove to be very effective.

Vitamin based therapies are very popular as there are many combinations of vitamins that can give relief from tinnitus. Although it should be noted that vitamins alone cannot cure your condition, but they can cause a great improvement in your symptoms. There has been a lot of success in reducing the severity and frequency of tinnitus by taking vitamin therapy.

Homeopathic treatments are one of the best treatment options. They work well in treating the symptoms without any of the unwanted side-effects that are associated with medication. When combined with a diet and exercise plan, they prove to be one of the most effective treatments.

It seems that tinnitus sufferers get better and more noticeable results with natural treatment for tinnitus. Natural treatments are more inexpensive and you are less prone to side effects, than when you are using medication.