I have tinnitus, and many questions about it…?
I would like answers from doctors, but I don’t want to hear that it’s hopeless. There must be some way to stop or at least reduce that hideous ringing sound in my ears. I find it very hard to believe that in our modern times there is still no specific treatment for tinnitus and I am willing to try anything even if it’s not scientifically proven. So here’s my specific situation…
For a few weeks now I have had constant tinnitus which came out of nowhere, accompanied by "popping" sounds in my ears when I swallow or yawn, a weird feeling in the back of my throat I can’t really explain, and occasional mild headaches.
During this time I have only been able to get to sleep at around 5am, because that’s when the birds come out and tweet in the morning (Helping to distract me from the hideous ringing noises). Because of this I have been losing valuable hours of sleep, which doesn’t help me. So here are my questions…
Q1: Is it best to use tinnitus-masking CDs containing natural sounds, like rain and waves, or are plain old white noise CDs more effective?
Q2: What foods or dietary changes can I make to reduce tinnitus?
Q3: If my tinnitus is NOT noise-induced, can loud noise still make it worse?
Q4: If I’m listening to music, which audio formats are best to listen to through headphones, i.e. are low-bit rate MP3s bad for the ears? What sound format is safer?
Q5: Since my tinnitus hasn’t gotten any better in the last few weeks, is it likely that I will become a permenant sufferer?
Thank you for taking the time to read. I have had tinnitus my whole life to a certain degree, but never this bad. Any advice you could give would be delightful.
Tagged with: 5am • birds • bit rate • dietary changes • doctors • ears • headphones • loud noise • mild headaches • natural sounds • q3 • q4 • q5 • sufferer • taking the time • tinnitus • waves • weird feeling • white noise • whole life
Filed under: Tinnitus Treatment
As a thumb rule, avoid too much exposure to loud noises, music, speakers, and professional activities which involve high frequency sounds. Which music is goos for you, decide yourself as you will be the best judge. Just make sure its not loud.
A few things that you can do to alleviate your tinnitus symptoms with the help of your diet are by incorporating certain foods that contain these vital minerals and vitamins that help in tinnitus in their own ways.
Zinc supplements have been used to treat people who had both tinnitus and hearing loss (usually age-related)
People who are exposed to loud noise on the job and who subsequently develop tinnitus have been found to be generally deficient in Vitamin B12.
The other important vitamins needed are A, B and E, which you can get easily if your diet is full of fresh fruits and vegetable.
Avoid saturated fats as their consumption leads to you developing all kinds of circulatory problems and also high blood pressure.
Valium, Xanax and Klonopin are benzodiazepine drugs that many doctors prescribe for tinnitus. These are conventional medications which achieve only limited success in tinnitus relief, and usually their bothersome side effects such as dry mouth, blurred vision, and constipation often discourage use.
They are addicting to varying degrees and cannot be used continuously for a long period of time. They are helpful in reducing tinnitus symptoms and aid in sleeping. Valium is the most addicting of these and is not used often for this reason.
Xanax is very popular and is prescribed often for tinnitus. However, the ATA report on medications that cause tinnitus lists Xanax as causing it in 6.6% of cases.
Some herbal remedies exist which can be used to support all body systems involved in helping the ear to perform its tasks of clear hearing and balance, as well as the circulatory, cardiovascular, and nervous systems.
Some of the most common herbs used are
• Ginkgo Biloba is excellent for a number of cerebral and circulatory disorders. It is probably the most widely-used herb for tinnitus and many sufferers swear by this natural ingredient.
• Rosemary dilates and strengthens blood vessels and is an excellent circulation tonic. Rosemary is particularly useful for tinnitus that is caused or worsened by high blood pressure and other circulatory conditions.
• Avena Sativa is effective in reducing high cholesterol levels which can contribute to circulatory problems which cause tinnitus.
• Wild Hyssop s also useful in reducing pain and inflammation.
• Salicylic Ac. (30C) is indicated for tinnitus with loud roaring or ringing sounds, which may be accompanied by deafness or vertigo. This remedy is particularly useful in people whose symptoms began with a bout of flu, Meniere’s disease or long-term use of aspirin.
Hope all this helps
Good Luck!
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You haven’t tried the sounds in your room? If you can handle the outside noises/birds etc..stands to reason you could experiment with CDs etc. Lipoflavanoids have shown promise in helping tinnitus….diet changes…less caffiene..etc etc…as have various herbs etc. Maybe check out a natural practitioner in your area