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Tinnitus Article Archives
Tinnitus Homeopathic Remedies: Do They Work
By Ken on 3/31/2010
One of the first things most sufferers of tinnitus usually ask is this: "is there a medical cure for the ringing in my ears?" Unfortunately, the answer to that question at the moment is "no." There is quite a bit of scientific study being done on ringing in the ear, but as of today, there is no clear cut and proven medical tinnitus cure.
Since tinnitus is actually a symptom of some other underlying condition, it can often times be very difficult to find the real underlying cause. On the other hand, there are options to help those that suffer from this condition of the ear. There are currently several different holistic options that you can buy on line today, and some are better than others. These self treatments are less expensive than visiting doctors, and in the majority of cases, offer you the best option for relief of ear noise. In fact, most doctors may even steer you in this same direction after they diagnose you with tinnitus.
Using natural techniques is actually the preferable way to treat tinnitus since there are usually many side affects to surgery and other invasive medical techniques. If your tinnitus is mild, you stand a very good chance of successful treatment from one of these holistic options. Depending on the underlying cause of your ringing of the ears, even severe sufferers often get great results from the natural approach. We have researched several of these products and we comment on them on our "treatment recommendation" page. There are also links at the top and bottom of this page that will direct you to what we feel is the best option for treating your tinnitus naturally.
Can Medications Cause Tinnitus?
By Hunter on January 30, 2010
Yes indeed! There are actually a large number of both over the counter and prescription drugs that can cause ear ringing. Some of these drugs can also result in actual loss of hearing and sometimes vertigo, which can be as innocent as mild dizziness and as severe as being completely debilitating. If you suspect that any drug you are taking could be bringing on ringing of the ears, be sure to consult with your doctor immediately. The good news is that if your problem is being caused by a prescription drug, your physician can probably find you an alternative drug that will quickly resolve your problem.
Some of the drugs that are known to bring on tinnitus are as follows:
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Aspirin, but usually only when taken in large doses for an extended period of time.
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Many antibiotics, including Vancomycin, Erythromycin and Aminoglycosides.
- Atabrine, which is used in the treatment of malaria.
- Legatrine and Q-Vel which are used as relaxants for muscle problems.
- Many diuretics including Bumetanide, Ethacrynic acid and Furosemide.
- Several Chemotherapy drugs are also knowon to bring on ringing in the ear. Some of these are Bleomycin, Cisplatin, Methotrexate, Vincristine and Mechlorethamine.
This list is not exhaustive, although these drugs have all been known to bring on ear problems in many patients. If you suspect that any medication has caused or worsened symptoms of tinnitus, then be sure to see your doctor immediately!
Excessive Ear Wax Can Bring on Tinnitus
By Linn on December 27, 2009
Ear wax actually serves a very important process in the overall health of your ears, so any removal of it should be only at the direction of a competent physician. Having said that, excess ear wax or a build up that causes hearing problems or possible symptoms of tinnitus or ringing of the ears should be looked at by your doctor. A build up of ear wax has been known to bring on tinnitus in many patients, and it can be an easy fix if done properly by someone trained to remove the wax buildup.
One of the worst things you can do is try and remove ear wax with cotton swabs. You can accidently rupture or puncture your ear drum, which will lead to much more serious issues than a build up of wax. If you scrape away too much of the wax, you could allow potential infection to enter your ears. Finally, you can actually push the wax further into your ear or ears creating problems where none actually existed.
If you suspect that you are experiencing a loss of hearing or a ringing of the ears or head due to a build up of ear wax, then consult your doctor and let them recommend a course of action for you. While there are several commercial and home remedies for removing ear wax, we don't recommend that anyone use them without consulting a competent medical specialist first.
Alternative Options for Treating Tinnitus
by Jack on 5/8/10
If you suffer from subjective tinnitus, which is the medical term for ringing of the ears, then you should know that there is no definitive medical cure for this often troubling and life altering complication. There are several ways of treating this complicated malady, but every individual responds a bit differently in almost every case, so what works for one individual, may not work for another.
Today I would like to discuss “masking”, which is a technique that simply replaces the annoying sounds of tinnitus with a sound that is more pleasant and soothing. Your brain is actually very capable of eliminating external sounds, but it has a much more difficult time in doing the same with ringing in the ears. By using a masker, or an external noise, many people can often eliminate tinnitus completely.
Before using any method of treatment for tinnitus, make sure that you consult a qualified physician to rule out the objective form of tinnitus which is usually caused by a true medical condition. Tinnitus can actually be caused by physical problems, so it’s important to rule that out first. Ear infections, medications, tumors and even poor circulation are just a few of the causes of objective tinnitus. Unlike the subjective version of tinnitus, which can only be heard by the patient, object tinnitus can actually be heard by your doctor with a special listening device. Be sure to consult your doctor to rule out objective tinnitus before attempting masking or any other subjective tinnitus treatment program.
If you are certain that your tinnitus is of the subjective version, then masking could be a possible alternative for you. While there are actually several commercial products that can help you with masking, we recommend that you do some testing at home first in order to see if this process brings you any relief. There are several inexpensive or free options you can try at home first, so give these a test run before spending your money on any expensive sound equipment.
Start by testing some items around your house. Try running water from the faucet or shower. You might also trying finding a blank station on an FM radio and experimenting with the sound level of that white noise and see if it helps. Many people have found that running a fan or air filter in the background at night helps mask out their tinnitus. If you find that these sounds work for you, yet cause problems for your spouse or other loved ones, then try recording the sound and playing it over and over on an MP3 player with head or ear phones.
If you find that this masking technique brings relief, then you may want to consider purchasing some of the commercial forms of high quality audio CDs. You can find almost any form of relaxing sounds you can imagine, so if sleeping in the rain forest at night with all the sounds of nature appeals to you and helps reduce that irritating sound in your ears, then that option and many others are available to you.
Many sufferers of tinnitus also have some amount of hearing loss as well. If you have tinnitus accompanied by hearing loss, then you might consider another option. By combining a hearing loss device with a masking device, some people are able to improve both their hearing and gain relief from their ringing ears simultaneously. There is actually a small instrument that is designed for this very purpose and it can be worn at all times behind your ear. The device works by enhancing external sounds, while also emitting a masking sound for your tinnitus. If you think this option might work for you, then you can visit an audiologist who can fit you with an instrument that is designed for your specific degree of hearing loss and the best masking for your tinnitus problems.
If masking does not work for you, there are also several holistic options now on the market for treating tinnitus. If you would like to learn more about tinnitus and many of the available treatment options, you can go to our website where this information is available for free. Don’t allow this nagging issue to ruin your quality of life. While there may not be a medical cure for subjective tinnitus, there are available options for reducing the negative affects it can have on your overall quality-of-life. Take action today!
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