Tips for Tinnitus

The following suggestions are collated from worldwide sources. Tinnitus is generally understood to be a tenacious and persistent problem, but unless you attended a rock concert and stood in the mosh pit a day or two before it started, it has usually crept up on you for a very long time. For this reason, immediate responses are an unrealistic expectation. However, you are well tuned in to your problem, and are the best judge as to the impact of new approaches. Even the smallest shift, change in characteristics or intensity of your tinnitus will be a sign of progress – change, which could even be a temporary stage of aggravation, followed then by increasing impact in a positive way.

Holistic approaches call upon, recruit, need, and use your own body’s healing mechanisms, at the very least to bring you to your best achievable level. The body is a subtle instrument, but if exposed to the right triggers, is always striving to work in good order. We each have our own potential, and personal limit to how far we can get toward reclaiming good working order, but human nature all too often leads us to accept a situation and get stuck.

It is important that you have had medical investigations to establish whether you have underlying disorders, and whether nerve damage may have caused your symptoms. Don’t diagnose yourself by the experiences of others, see your Doctor, just to preclude underlying conditions that may require medical treatment.

Lifestyle factors that affect the sinuses, and ears

• Dairy products - Check your intake of, as they are known to increase catarrh, which impacts upon the sinuses and ears

• Noise - Loud ‘obvious noise’ like drumming, club music is a potential factor, even low grade humming, discreet but constant noise, such as fine drilling instruments, maybe occupational background noise can affect the nerves of the ears, leading to tinnitus. IPods, Walkmans, living with a deaf person can expose you to hours of loud TV, which can be dealt with by Loop Hearing systems – for their benefit, and yours.

• Swimming - Chlorine can inflame the nasal passages, and obstruct the sinuses, water-log the ears and thus cause problems. Nasal Clips may help, avoid diving into water, and dry the ears well immediately after.

• Dust, pet dander, chemicals in the home - remember when decorating, wear filter masks, and when cycling in urban areas

• Salicylates - Typically Aspirin can cause Tinnitus, check with GP whether you may reduce, or eradicate it safely for your general health.

• Food - Caffeine, salt, sugar, and alcohol may be contributing, look at your intake, and try reducing them one at a time to identify accurately.

• High stomach acid levels - Acid reflux can track back up the Eustachian tubes, into the middle ear, causing inflammation affecting the ears. Investigation and medical treatment for acid levels may yield resolution.

Supportive remedies and actions

Always take advice on remedies if you are on medications, with your GP or Pharmacist. Do not take all actions at once, try them out over time.

• Ear candling can directly impact upon Tinnitus by clearing the ears, re-balancing the lymphatic drainage, enabling the Eustachian Tubes to open and drain during treatment, and increases blood supply to the ears.

• Vitamin B complex supplements. The top ‘B’s are Thiamin, which stabilises the nerves of the inner ear and Niacin which improves circulation to the cochlear.

• Zinc, or Zinc and Niacin together can be ‘curative’ at early onset, and can diminish symptoms somewhat for chronic sufferers.

• Ginko improves circulation to the inner ear. Again check with GP if on other medications.

• Finger pinching - If your problem is one sided, pinch the finger tip of your middle finger for 5 minutes 4 times daily, maybe use a clip. If both sides, alternate left and right finger, ie 8 times daily – 4 each. These are reflex points for the ears, and can help to improve hearing.

• Onion juice 2 drop daily into the ears, three times a week.

• Put a heat pad on your feet and hands at the same time. This draws circulation and energy to the extremities, and lessens congestion and pressure in the head.

• Castor oil 3-4 drops a day, perhaps for several weeks, plug the oil in overnight.

• Auditory Habituation – many articles exist on this method of listening to a noise of a lower volume, in order to retrain the brain over a slow period, and can be a self help method.

Remember that our hearing is not only governed by the physical, but is affected by our emotions too, which is why the answers to problems are not always obvious, on the plus side, it means that there is more chance of rectifying health than may think.