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July 28, 2005

Ears Ringing

Imagine spending every day with a distracting buzzing, roaring, humming, whooshing, ringing sound in your ears. Such is life for someone like Daily Health News reader John, who suffers from tinnitus and is desperately in search of ways to deal with this stressful condition. For most people, there is no cure -- but there are better ways to cope with tinnitus and not allow it to come between you and living your life to the fullest.

A Symptom, Not a Disease

Tinnitus is not a disease, but a symptom. It has a number of possible causes, ranging from age-related hearing loss, ear injury or exposure to excessive noise, to blood vessel disorders such as arteriosclerosis, high blood pressure or narrowing of a carotid artery, a major artery in the neck that supplies blood to the brain. Another possible cause is the long-term use of certain medications (such as antibiotics or large doses of aspirin). Depending on the source of the tinnitus, treatment varies.

Coping with Tinnitus

Each person experiences the condition in a different way, explains audiologist Janice Howard of the New England Tinnitus and Hyperacusis Clinic in Hamden, Connecticut.

Although the din of tinnitus can be frustrating and annoying, Howard says that it is rarely the sign of a serious problem, except of course if associated with arteriosclerosis or ill effects due to antibiotic use. (Note: These may either be a reaction to the antibiotic or a result of long-term antibiotic use.) Treatments vary widely and depend on the underlying cause. At its simplest, the ringing simply may be due to wax buildup and can be improved simply by removing the wax. Another common cause of tinnitus is a cervical spinal subluxation, potentially compressing one or both of the vertebral arteries, which carry blood to the neck, vertebrae, spinal cord and brain. A chiropractor or naturopathic physician may be able to correct this condition.

Additional considerations...

When tinnitus is due to conditions such as high blood pressure or arteriosclerosis, work with your doctor(s) to treat the underlying problem.
If ringing in the ears occurs as a result of a drug, talk to your physician about adjusting or altering your prescription.

In other cases, as when tinnitus is due to age-related hearing loss, the focus is on reducing the impact of the buzz since little or nothing can be done about the noise itself with drugs or surgery. Strategies include...

Identify and avoid factors that aggravate the ringing in your ears. These vary from person to person, but may include caffeine, alcohol, salt, tonic water, high doses of aspirin, loud noises, lack of sleep and fatigue.

Practice good stress management. Stress can elevate your perception of the noise. Look at stresses at work and home and think about how you can eliminate them or use stress management techniques to better deal with them, says Howard.

Try tinnitus retraining therapy (TRT). This approach combines a quiet sound generator worn in the ear and counseling to change the patient's perception of tinnitus, since little or nothing can be done about the noise itself. You set the volume yourself to mix and blend with the tinnitus, rather than to mask or cover it, explains Howard. The goal is not to drown out the noise, but to train your brain to ignore it. TRT is a long-term approach that requires a one- to two-year commitment.

Mask the noise

This is a very old-fashioned approach which Howard's clinic rarely uses anymore. It consists of wearing an in-the-ear masking device to cover the noise of tinnitus by substituting another sound for it.

When tinnitus is accompanied by hearing loss, consider a hearing aid. When outside sounds become more audible, ringing in the ears becomes less noticeable.

Often, nutrient therapy can improve or cure the problem. Interventions may include high-potency vitamin B-12, certain forms of calcium and magnesium, L-carnitine, or octacosanol. A naturopathic physician can outline the proper supplements for you. The results of studies regarding whether or not ginkgo biloba is effective in improving tinnitus are mixed. Some studies say it helps, others say it is no better than a placebo. Beware of taking ginkgo biloba if you are taking blood thinners (including aspirin) or if you have a bleeding disorder.

Be well, Carole Jackson, Bottom Line's Daily Health News, http://www.bottomlinesecrets.com

Sources:
The Ears Are Ringing

Janice Howard, audiologist, New England Tinnitus and Hyperacusis Clinic, Hamden, Connecticut.
American Tinnitus Association, www.ata.org

Reformating the above article

Could Onions come to the rescue?

Well...maybe. An HSI member named PB writes: "Can you please give me the information on using onions for curing tinnitus (noise in the ears)?"

According to Holistic Online, onion juice is a folk remedy that calls for one drop of the juice in each ear, three times a week until the ringing in the ears is relieved. I have no idea if this works (perhaps PB can try it and get back to us with a report), but I do know that onion juice is not the only natural treatment for this very annoying condition.

In a 2002 ginkgo biloba study conducted in Germany, patients who received 200 mg of ginkgo daily generally reported marked reduction in tinnitus.

A deficiency of zinc may be at the root of some tinnitus cases. Foods that contain zinc include spinach, oysters, beef, papaya, asparagus and prunes.

Tinnitus is a common topic in the HSI Healthier Talk community forums. One HSI member with an "extreme case" of tinnitus notes that CoQ10 supplements combined with a low carbohydrate diet helped enormously. And another member found relief with chiropractic treatments.

To Your Good Health, Jenny Thompson

"Alternative Medicine for Tinnitus" Holistic Online, holistic-online.com

[http://www.hsibaltimore.com/ealerts/freecopy.html]

Homeopathic Remedies for Tinnitus (Ringing in the Ears)

Also indexed as: Ears (Ringing), Ringing in the Ears

Ringing, roaring, buzzing, and other noises in the ears that are unrelated to external sounds can be intermittent or continuous. This condition can be very distracting and irritating, and is sometimes associated with partial hearing loss. Tinnitus can accompany other conditions related to the ears and nervous system, some of which need a physician’s assessment and treatment. Homeopathic remedies often reduce the discomfort and frustration that come with tinnitus.

Calcarea carbonica: When this remedy is indicated, tinnitus may be experienced alone or with vertigo. The person may have hearing problems, or cracking and pulsing sensations in the ears. People who need this remedy are usually chilly, easily fatigued, crave sweets, and feel overwhelmed and anxious when unwell.

Carbo vegetabilis: This remedy may be useful if ringing in the ears occurs during flu or other conditions involving vertigo and nausea. The symptoms may be worst in the evening and at night. The person may feel cold and faint, but usually has a craving for fresh and moving air. Carbo vegetabilis is also helpful when an illness has been prolonged or recovery is slow.

China (also called Cinchona officinalis): This remedy is often helpful to people who feel touchy, weak, and nervous with sensitivity to noise and tinnitus. It is often indicated after fluids have been lost through vomiting, diarrhea, heavy sweating, and surgery or other conditions involving blood loss.

Chininum sulphuricum: Buzzing, ringing, and roaring sounds that are loud enough to impair the person’s hearing suggest a need for this remedy. The person may also have a tendency toward chills and vertigo, during which the tinnitus is often worse.

Cimicifuga: People likely to respond to this remedy are very sensitive to noise, along with tinnitus, and often have pain and muscle tension in the neck and back. They are usually energetic, nervous, and talkative, but become depressed or fearful when not feeling well. Headaches and problems during menstrual periods are often seen in people who need this remedy.

Coffea cruda: This remedy may be helpful to an excitable, nervous person with tinnitus accompanied by extremely sensitive hearing and a buzzing feeling in the back of the head. People who need this remedy often have insomnia from mental overstimulation.

Graphites: This remedy may be beneficial to a person who has tinnitus with associated deafness. Hissing and clicking sounds are often heard in the ears (or even louder sounds like gunshots). People who need this remedy may also have a tendency toward constipation, poor concentration, and cracking skin eruptions.

Kali carbonicum: Tinnitus with ringing or roaring, accompanied by cracking noises and itching in the ears, may be relieved with this remedy. Vertigo experienced on turning is another indication. People who need this remedy are often quite conservative, with a rigid code of ethics. They tend to feel anxiety in the region of the stomach.

Lycopodium: A humming and roaring in the ears, along with impairment of hearing, suggest the use of this remedy. Sounds may also seem to echo in the ears. People needing Lycopodium often have a tendency toward ear infections with discharge, as well as chronic digestive problems or urinary tract complaints.

Natrum salicylicum: This remedy may be beneficial if ringing in the ears is like a low, dull hum. Loss of hearing related to bone conduction, as well as nerve interference and vertigo, may be involved. Natrum salicylicum is a useful remedy when tinnitus and tiredness occur after influenza or along with Meniere’s disease.

Salicylicum acidum: This remedy is indicated for tinnitus with very loud roaring or ringing sounds, which may be accompanied by deafness or vertigo. The problem may have begun with flu, or occur in a person with Meniere’s disease. Salicylicum acidum may also be helpful if tinnitus has been caused by too much aspirin.

Homeopathy Dosage Directions

Select the remedy that most closely matches the symptoms. In conditions where self-treatment is appropriate, unless otherwise directed by a physician, a lower potency (6X, 6C, 12X, 12C, 30X, or 30C) should be used. In addition, instructions for use are usually printed on the label.

Many homeopathic physicians suggest that remedies be used as follows: Take one dose and wait for a response. If improvement is seen, continue to wait and let the remedy work. If improvement lags significantly or has clearly stopped, another dose may be taken. The frequency of dosage varies with the condition and the individual. Sometimes a dose may be required several times an hour; other times a dose may be indicated several times a day; and in some situations, one dose per day (or less) can be sufficient.

If no response is seen within a reasonable amount of time, select a different remedy.

For more information, including references, see the link below

From: [http://healing.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ&sdn=healing&cdn=religion&tm=473&gps=208_1243_655_729&f=22&tt=2&bt=1&bts=1&zu=http%3A//www.publix.com/wellness/notes/Display.do%3Fid%3DHomeo%26childId%3DTinnitus_hm]

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