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Have you ever been in a quiet room and heard that faint ringing in your ears? For some people this ringing is not faint at all and is more like a roar or a scream.
These are people who suffer from a condition called tinnitus, and in Slovakia alone it is estimated to affect almost 1 million people.
Most of these people cannot do anything to help the condition, or they turn to various over-the-counter medicines. However, these usually have little effectiveness and various unpleasant side effects.
Today we present 5 alternative ways to treat tinnitus. First, though, let’s say a little more about this condition.
What is tinnitus
Tinnitus is usually defined as sensations of ringing in the ears that do not come from any external source.
Although people usually describe it as ringing, these sensations can be anything from buzzing, hissing to other kinds of sounds. They vary in their loudness.
For some the sounds are constant, for others they may come and go.
They most often occur when there is little or very soft background noise in the environment. This includes situations such as reading a book, being in a quiet room, or when trying to fall asleep.
In some cases the altered sounds can even synchronize with the heartbeat.
Causes of ear ringing
The most common cause of buzzing in the ears is long-term exposure to loud noise.
It usually develops in people who spend a lot of time at concerts, discos, construction sites, riding noisy motorcycles, or if they are at shooting ranges or near loud machinery.
Loud sounds cause permanent damage to the cells in the inner ear, which later leads to tinnitus or even permanent hearing loss.
Sometimes a single exposure to an extremely loud sound is enough to cause this condition.
Although noise is the main cause of this condition, there are also other causes, such as:
- ear blockage by accumulated earwax, infection, or a benign tumor
- certain medications such as aspirin, painkillers, sedatives and antidepressants
- natural aging
- Meniere’s disease
- otosclerosis (abnormal bone growth near the middle ear)
- head or neck injury
To suppress ear noises people often resort to various pharmaceutical products. However, these not only cause new symptoms, but are also not very effective. Sometimes they can even worsen tinnitus.
Fortunately there are several natural remedies whose effectiveness has been demonstrated and which have almost no negative side effects. Here are 5 such things.
1. Acupuncture
Several studies have been conducted that demonstrate the effectiveness of acupuncture in treating ringing in the ears.
A good acupuncturist experienced in Traditional Chinese Medicine will know how to propose treatment for different types of tinnitus. Such treatment usually focuses on releasing “obstructions” in the ear canals.
It will likely require 10 to 15 sessions before noticeable improvement appears. During these the acupuncturist mainly focuses on points located on the skull and ears.
2. Ginkgo biloba
Ginkgo biloba is an extensively researched herb in herbal medicine that is believed to improve blood flow in peripheral areas of the body such as the head or brain.
This makes it an effective herb for tinnitus, especially in cases where the condition is caused by poor blood circulation to the ears.
For maximum effectiveness it is recommended to take capsules with a higher content of standardized ginkgo extract.
Relief should occur within about 6 weeks. After symptoms subside, the daily dose can be reduced to approximately 40 to 60 mg.
3. Clearing the Eustachian tube
This is a technique used to relieve blockage of the tube located behind the eardrum by draining fluid from your ear.
It helps mainly in cases of tinnitus caused by blockage of the nose, ears, throat and sinuses, because the upper respiratory tract is connected to the Eustachian tube.
To perform this technique first make sure your hands are clean.
Then open your mouth and feel with your index finger the gum above the upper wisdom teeth. Behind the canine teeth there are bent bones with cartilages that allow the mouth to open.
Push your index finger further until you feel a flexible tendon roughly at the base of the tongue. Somewhere around there the Eustachian tube begins. Now gently press the spot from side to side for about 15 to 20 seconds.
Do the same on the other side.
Do this at least once a day. After about a week the ringing in the ears should be reduced.
If you do not feel comfortable performing this procedure, ask an ear, nose and throat doctor for help, if they have access to such alternative methods.
4. Dietary supplements
For tinnitus related to aging, supplements with vitamin B12 and zinc are suitable, especially for people who are deficient in them.
The effectiveness of zinc in these cases has been confirmed by several studies. Take it for 3 to 6 months.
Similarly good results have been recorded with the use of vitamin B12.
Although formal studies have not yet been conducted in this area, many people claim that even a small amount such as 100 mcg (micrograms) daily helped them.
5. Background noise
Background noise can mask the buzzing caused by tinnitus. Since ear buzzing most often occurs when you are in a quiet environment, real background noise can essentially “drown it out”.
There are special devices designed to create such background noise. These are usually sounds of the sea or falling rain.
If ringing in the ears prevents you from sleeping, try to get a device that has small speakers built directly into the pillow.
If you do not want to buy a device, you can use other household appliances for this purpose, such as fans, air conditioners or humidifiers in winter and dehumidifiers in summer.
There are even various listening aids that block the ringing in the ears. Today you don’t even have to buy them because you can find mobile phone apps that generate background noise.
Conclusion
If you have your own experience with ringing in the ears, be sure to share it with us and other readers in the comments under the article.
This will also help others with a health problem that today troubles such a large number of people.
