Treatment of Tinnitus
The sensation of ringing or buzzing in your ears when there is no external source of noise is called tinnitus. The condition of tinnitus can be either a standalone disorder or a symptom of another disease. The noise can be consistent or occasional, and vary in pitch and volume. Regardless of the intensity, tinnitus is an overwhelmingly annoying condition for which there is no cure.
The cause of tinnitus is essential to determining the treatment options. While some tinnitus is sometimes temporary, it can also be permanent. Temporary tinnitus is caused by such conditions as infection of the ear, earwax build up, medication side-effects, and occasional loud noise.
Eliminating loud noises by avoiding places that are loud is the best advice, but not always possible. People who work around heavy machinery, shoot guns for hobby or sport, or people who work in the music industry are all very susceptible to tinnitus and hearing loss. When you must be around loud noise, wear ear protection.
When tinnitus is caused by the aging process, loud, sustained noise, or head injury the damage is likely to be long-term. In this event, it is necessary to look for continuing treatment options. Talk to your doctor to rule out any other medical conditions that might be causing the symptom of ringing ears and then discuss treatment options.
Treating tinnitus is possible through a variety of methods. One of the most popular treatments is called masking. Masking is employed with music, sounds of nature, white noise, or some other background type sound. This treatment method works by taking the focus off the ringing noise and makes it easier to fall asleep or concentrate on other tasks.
Some radical treatments of tinnitus have differing levels of success such as surgery, Teflon implants of cochlea shields, the use of neurostimulators, and clearing the earwax from the ear canal by a medical professional.
Drug therapy is controversial topic among experts, but some swear to the effectiveness. Lidocaine injections are one of the medical therapies that can temporarily alleviate the ringing, but no long-term affects have been seen. Benzodiazepines have shown to be of benefit, but the lasting risks are significant.
Homeopathic and alternative medicine treatments include the avoidance of alcohol, caffeine, nicotine, and salt. Unfortunately, tinnitus can actually be brought on by quitting smoking and reducing caffeine. Alcohol can have varying affects upon tinnitus, so it cannot be considered a cause or a cure.
Supplements such as vitamin B12, zinc, passionflower, horsetail extract, gingko biloba, and melatonin have shown to be of benefit to the symptoms of tinnitus, as well as an overall healthy diet and exercise plan.
Electrical stimulation by means of direct stimulus to the auditory cortex or application of electric or magnetic current to the head can bring about a cessation of the ringing, but only for the duration of the treatment.
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