5 Options for Tinnitus Treatment

Tinnitus is defined as the hearing of noises within the ear when noise is not actually present in the environment. It is most commonly thought to be caused by noise-related hearing loss that has resulted in neurological damage to the structure of the ear but its actual cause is unknown. Noises such as buzzing, whining, ringing, chirping and pulsing may be experienced by the sufferer on a continuous or intermittent basis. In addition, sufferers of tinnitus may also experience other unpleasant ear sensations including pain and fullness of the ear along with dizziness and headache. Tinnitus may become so bothersome that one is unable to sleep, resulting in fatigue due to insomnia. Tinnitus is also extremely aggravating and may result in an inability to concentrate which may eventually affect work performance and contribute to anxiety and depression.

Treatment options available for tinnitus are limited in the traditional medical world to prescription treatment for symptoms of anxiety, masking the noise, and behavioral modification programs. Alternative medicine offers herbal remedies which use herbs in a similar manner to prescription medications but the best option may be homeopathic treatment. Many sufferers of tinnitus try several methods before experiencing relief.

White Noise

The most common recommendation for sufferers of tinnitus is to use “white noise” to mask the disorder. White noise is a simple background noise which can be ignored. The simplest form of white noise is something such as a fan or low-volume radio which may function to distract the brain from noise in and out of the environment by the simple process of ignoring it. Others may be advised to purchase white noise generators which put out different types of sound – some as simple as a low grade static but others which may include jungle sounds, sounds of rushing water or ocean waves and other sounds of nature. While these may be effective for some, the effects often wear off and the benefits cannot be realized if one is not in the same room as the machine. They will not work while at a job or performing other activities.

Traditional Prescription Treatment

When encountered by a patient experiencing tinnitus, many physicians will be unable to offer a solution. Typical responses may include statements such as “there is no actual problem”, “tinnitus has no cure” or “you’ll just have to live with it”. Some patients may be referred to an audiologist for testing of the hearing but an audiologist can do nothing to make the noise go away. An Ear, Nose and Throat specialist can examine the ear but also cannot achieve results or resolve the problem.

Some physicians may break down and prescribe medications which can only be aimed at relieving anxiety and insomnia and may have serious side effects. Medications such as the antidepressants Tofranil, Elavil and Desyrel have been used at night to sedate the patient and allow them to sleep. Other physicians have recommended over-the-counter antihistamines such as Benadryl or Ny-Tol for similar reason. Some physicians recommend benzodiazepine antianxiety agents such as Valium, Xanax and Ambien for either daytime anxiety or insomnia related to tinnitus. If the patient is experiencing dizziness, the anti-vertigo agent meclizine may be prescribed. The problem is that none of these traditional medications do anything at all to address the cause and are simply given to make the patient relax and stop complaining – because in reality, tinnitus is a mystery. In addition, most of these medications have serious side effects and carry significant warnings about continued use.

Behavioral Modification

Several options of behavioral modification programs promise the ability to teach the brain to no longer recognize the noises experienced by sufferers of tinnitus. While this also may be effective for some people, it is not necessarily a permanent solution and involves personal commitment to a theory which simply teaches the brain to “ignore the problem”. In short, this may be a “live with it” or “grin and bear it” solution which offers no hope for the thousands who cannot sleep and cannot function. In addition, some of these programs may cost hundreds of dollars – up front – with no guarantee of results. After all, if one could learn to ignore the problem, why would you still feel like you are being driven insane?

Herbal Remedies

There are tinnitus relief products on the market which use herbal remedies such as Valerian Root and Passion Fruit Extract, along with vitamin supplements which promise the results of tinnitus relief because these nutritional supplements are thought to promote relaxation. The unfortunate fact is that there is absolutely no scientific evidence that these herbs and nutritional products are effective at creating relaxation – which is the actual goal of the use of the herbs. Even if they are effective, they only treat the anxiety that has been caused by the tinnitus and not the root cause. Because there are no scientific studies that have been conducted on the use of herbal and nutritional supplements, there is also no evidence that some people will not have adverse effects from unknown plant products.

Homeopathic Treatment

Homeopathic treatment utilizes the natural theory of vital treatment. Homeopathy is the infusion of minute amounts of naturally occurring substances to stimulate natural body responses to relieve specific symptoms that are experienced by people with medical disorders. Make no mistake; tinnitus is not an imaginary problem. Homeopathic treatment may offer relief to sufferers of an enigmatic problem when traditional medicine, white noise, behavioral therapy and herbal treatment cannot as it is designed to affect processes within both the ear and brain to relieve the neurological and localized pathology. In addition, homeopathic remedies have not been shown to cause unpleasant side effects such as addiction or allergic reaction.

Ear Perfect is a unique system that treats both the actual symptoms of ear noise and the associated discomfort in the ear. Unlike some other products claiming homeopathic or natural benefits, Ear Perfect uses a combination of homeopathic ingredients in both tablets to treat the symptoms of tinnitus internally by affecting the neuronal hearing process within the ear along with ear drops which work externally to relieve associated symptoms such as fullness and ear pain. The Ear Perfect Homeopathic Tablets contain a 6 part blend of scientifically formulated homeopathy ingredients which have been chosen for their ability to reduce ringing, buzzing, roaring and other noises along with associated pain and dizziness that often accompanies tinnitus. Ear Perfect Drops is constituted of a 6 part blend of different homeopathic ingredients which may reduce symptoms in the actual ear such as fullness, congestion and ear pain and may help with other problems related to the ear canal and sinuses such as sinusitis and toothache which may contribute to ear pain, inflammation and the experience of tinnitus. Some products use only 1 homeopathic ingredient, while the Ear Perfect approach takes advantage of the properties of 12 different homeopathic agents which may help to treat sufferers of many types of tinnitus – no matter what the cause.