Tinnitus affects an estimated fifty million people in the United States and many millions more worldwide. Tinnitus is characterized by roaring, hissing, chirping, clicking, humming, ringing and other noises in the ear. From subtle to severe, the noise in the ear of the sufferer leads to a decreased quality of life and causes many sufferers much stress. The ringing or other noise can be constant or intermittent, but either way the distraction of inner ear noise causes distraction, discomfort, and can cause hearing problems as well.
Tinnitus can be treated in a myriad of ways. Common tinnitus remedies include herbal supplements such as Ginkgo Biloba, drops of onion juice in the ear, or Maidenhair tree and dietary supplements like zinc and magnesium. Avoiding saturated fats, salt, sugar, processed foods, dairy, caffeine and alcohol are also recommended dietary alterations to help decrease the occurrences of tinnitus. Some sufferers claim that adding iron rich foods such as leafy greens gives them relief as tinnitus is sometimes indicative of an iron deficiency.
Sound therapies are also commonly used as tinnitus remedies. Sound therapies can range from using white noise machines to mask the inner ear noise or hearing aids or other amplification devices to assist the sufferer with normal hearing functions, hopefully amplifying the outside noise to decrease the inside noise. Sound therapies also sometimes include cochlear implants and electrical stimulation to help reduce the symptoms of tinnitus.
Other causes of tinnitus can be exposure to loud noises and a misalignment of the temporomandibular joint, also known as TMJ. Limiting your exposure to loud noises and wearing earplugs is an easy way to help reduce the effects of tinnitus. A visit to a dentist can help determine if TMJ is a cause of tinnitus and the dental professional can realign the temporomandibular joint to relieve the ringing in the ears.
It is advised that tinnitus sufferers try to reduce stress as stress seems to exacerbate the problem. Identifying and reducing stressors can help minimize the effects of tinnitus and help promote a healthier, happier life. Pay attention to when tinnitus presents itself and see if you can identify a precursory stressor that led up to the episode. By identifying and eliminating stress that triggers tinnitus, sufferers can dramatically reduce their occurrences and gain a sense of control and power over their tinnitus.
There are many tinnitus remedies to try. From herbal and dietary supplements, dietary changes, sound therapies, reducing noise exposure, ensuring the TMJ joint is aligned and reducing stress – there is a remedy that is right for you. Try incorporating one or more of these strategies to get relief from the ringing.