Natural Tinnitus Cures: How Do They Work?
Tinnitus, or ringing in the ears, often occurs as a mild and intermittent inconvenience. The person with tinnitus may describe it simply as a humming, buzzing or roaring sound, or something like the sound of running water, the inside of a seashell, or escaping air. It may be high- or low-pitched, and may be present for a few minutes or for hours on end.
There is, of course, a more severe kind of tinnitus. When the ringing sound is persistently and annoying present, and accompanied by other symptoms, the cause is often an actual medical condition. Examples of disorders or conditions that have tinnitus as a symptom are Meniere’s disease, anemia, allergy, diabetes, acoustic neuroma, ear injuries, hypertension, and middle ear infections. Any one of this requires treatment through medication and/or medical procedures such as surgery. Once treated, the tinnitus will disappear.
For the milder, more common form of tinnitus, people usually prefer to use natural tinnitus cures. These involve lifestyle and diet modifications, herbs, and taking sensible precautions to avoid aggravating tinnitus.
Exercise is often recommended for tinnitus relief. It works by helping to reduce obesity and hypertension, which are known causes of tinnitus. It also helps by promoting good blood circulation. Poor circulation within the ears has been identified as a cause of tinnitus. When it is corrected, the ringing in the ears becomes significantly reduced, if not altogether eliminated.
Reducing salt, sugar, caffeine and alcohol intake also brings natural tinnitus relief. These substances contribute to obesity, hypertension and deficient blood circulation, which may trigger tinnitus. It is also greatly beneficial to quit smoking, as the nicotine and stimulants in cigarettes are apt to produce tinnitus.
Avoiding loud noises will also prevent tinnitus and its recurrence. Habitual listening to loud music, as well as continued exposure to loud machinery, racetrack, airport or shooting range noise are known causes of tinnitus. They must be avoided. If the volume of music, especially headphone music, prevents one from hearing outside sounds, it is too loud. If one works in an airport, concert venue or racetrack, the loud ambient noise may be prevented from causing tinnitus with the use of ear plugs.
Some herbs and supplements have been found effective in lessening the incidence and severity of tinnitus. Foremost among them is ginkgo biloba. Initially taking 40-80 milligrams of this herb daily will produce a noticeable reduction of tinnitus within six weeks. Periwinkle, another herb, has a similar effect. Zinc supplements of 90 to 150 milligrams daily are also effective in treating tinnitus in people who also have zinc deficiency. Melatonin, a hormone that regulates our sleep/wake patterns, is helpful in restoring normal sleep for people disturbed at night by tinnitus. About three milligrams of this hormone taken each night will bring relief from tinnitus.
Finally, sound therapy is one of the most effective and simplest natural tinnitus cures. This works by providing another sound that “competes” with the roaring or buzzing sound of tinnitus and takes away the person’s attention from it. Soft background music, white noise, the whirring sound of fans, and the recorded sound of ocean waves or rain are some good examples for tinnitus sound therapy. When used consistently and long enough, sound therapy “retrains” one’s mind and hearing to completely ignore tinnitus, until it ceases to be a problem.
With these simple tips, mild-to-moderate tinnitus can be treated at very little or no cost to the person. These are also proven safe and free from any side effects.
