Treating Ringing Ears
Before looking at how to treat ringing in the ears naturally, or to be more exact, without invasive surgery or chemical input. It is imperative the cause of the problem is properly assessed. Natural tinnitus treatment for tinnitus is available through a variety of means, but not every treatment will work for every individual. Each case must be taken on its own merit before expectation of a positive result can be gained.
For instance, the root cause of tinnitus can be a medical condition that has to be dealt with. It can also be a body-chemical deficiency, or the ringing ears may ultimately be caused by exterior sources like loud music or a noisy workplace.
The tinnitus can also be subjective (only the subject can hear it) or it can be objective tinnitus (a medical practitioner with proper equipment can also hear it). So it is easy to see that an effective tinnitus treatment pretty much depends on proper diagnosis of the problem to begin with.
With all that said, let’s go over in more detail the points mentioned above before looking at possible remedies for tinnitus or ringing ear syndrome.
What is Subjective Tinnitus?
This is the most commonly experienced type of tinnitus between the two types mentioned earlier. It is called ‘subjective’ because it is subject to the hearer only. This sound is ‘heard’ by the listener even though there is a complete absence of acoustic stimulus from an external source that anyone else can hear.
When we say ‘hear’ or ‘hearing’ in context with the sounds of tinnitus, this is actually a poor description of the overall problem – at least in the case of subjective tinnitus. The sounds that the subject actually ‘hears’ is not via the ear at all, but rather it is the brain that is involved. A more accurate description of tinnitus would be… “Tinnitus is the way the brain interprets silence”
In effect you could say that for many people suffering subjective tinnitus, it is the ‘sound of silence.’
What Causes Subjective Tinnitus?
As mentioned earlier in this chapter, there are many situations or circumstances that can lead to tinnitus of this kind. These include (but are certainly not restricted to) the following…
- Ear wax problems. A build-up of ear wax can lead to pressure on the delicate parts of the inner ear, which in turn can lead to tinnitus.
- Ear infections. This can certainly lead to pain in the ears. A build-up of earwax, and more permanent damage if not treated.
- Loud noise. Working or playing in a noisy environment is one of the most common causes of tinnitus. Any noise over 85 decibels close to the ear for a prolonged time can lead to damage of the delicate irreversible tinnitus. Extremely loud noise close to the ear even for a few moments (like a gun-shot for instance), can also lead to a ruptured ear drum or damage to the delicate bones in the inner ear. This can result in hearing loss and/or ear ringing ears.
- Medical conditions. Similar to the line on ear infections. Tinnitus sufferers should always have their ear canal examined by a doctor to be sure that there is no underlying medical condition/damage that is causing the problem.
What you eat can play a huge part in what you hear. Diets high in salt, artificial flavorings, sugar, MSG (monosodium glutamate) or artificial sweeteners, high fat content, or any foods that lead to an increase in blood pressure can all lead to ringing/whining ears. More on foods that affect tinnitus here…
Stress related tinnitus: Anxiety and stress can play a large part when it comes to tinnitus causes. At the very least, stress can exacerbate an already existing tinnitus situation. It is generally believed that stress can lead to hypertension, which in itself is a tinnitus causing condition.
How Is Subjective Tinnitus Treated?
If you have already browsed the list above, you may well be able to highlight the problem area that applies to your own situation – and take the appropriate preventative steps to alleviate it – or stop it from occurring in the first place :).
For instance, if you work in a noisy environment or are otherwise subject to loud noises, the solution could be simply to acquire some suitable ear protection. Special ear plugs are also available for those in the music or building industry for example.
Do you eat a lot of junk food? Pre-packaged, pre-formed store-bought food full of additives, salt and sugar? Again if you want to avoid or alleviate tinnitus symptoms then try changing your diet to something a lot healthier – it’s not just your weight that is at stake here!
Perhaps you have a stressful job that increases your blood pressure. Or maybe you suffer from stress in general? The answer to this problem could be to avoid overly stressful situations wherever possible and/or see a doctor, and get to the root problem of your stress as part of a tinnitus management regime.
Lifestyle change can also play a huge part in tinnitus management. Perhaps you have to cut back on attendance at noisy concerts, football games, cinema and such. Maybe these take-away snacks could be reduced or even done away with entirely. If you are a smoker, then cut back on the cigarettes to avoid tinnitus, or better still stop smoking!
The proper treatment for subjective tinnitus sufferers could well be Tinnitus Retraining Therapy. This is a system that retrains the brain to ignore the annoying sounds of tinnitus to such an extent that It is cancelled out. This treatment can involve binaural Sound Therapy that uses a combination of different sound waves (mostly Alpha and Theta waves) to counter tinnitus and ‘retrain the brain.’
As you can see there are a number of things you could try out, for little or zero cost that may result in a tinnitus cure for you – maybe even save you money on cigarettes and junk food 🙂
What is Objective Tinnitus?
As mentioned earlier, this is a noise in the ears that is not ‘all in the mind’ but is quite the opposite. Objective tinnitus is an actual sound in the ears that can often be heard by a doctor using a listening device.
The condition known as Pulsatile Tinnitus is an example of Objective Tinnitus also known as Somatosensory Tinnitus. This is a rushing sound in the ears that is in time with the patient’s own heartbeat. This is due to the fact that the noise heard is the blood rushing past an obstruction of some kind in a neck vein.
This condition is often temporary, and can be caused by the individual going from a domicile position, to a position of activity very suddenly. This is because the blood thickens in a state of inactivity so that when we jump up to do something this ‘thick’ blood struggles to get through the veins fast enough. This is at least partially why athletes must ‘warm up’ before getting on with the task in hand.
I myself have experienced this kind of pulsatile tinnitus many times – which can sometimes lead to dizziness as a result of lack of oxygen to the brain. Fortunately for me at least, it does not last – but I often have to sit a few moments before starting strenuous work again!
How To Treat Objective Tinnitus
Treating persistent Objective tinnitus, requires a thorough examination by a medical practitioner to try and discover the underlying cause. It could be that there is indeed a partial vein blockage caused by some medical condition that needs treated. For instance it is fairly common for a vein to twist or kink, thereby causing the blood to rush through the restricted opening.
Sometimes the cause of the blockage cannot be positively identified, and the treatment may well include the use of a noise machine to produce ‘white noise’ in order to mask or hide the tinnitus symptoms.
General good health and diet are also recommended, as smoking in particular can cause both objective and subjective tinnitus symptoms.
Summary:
As we can see, how to treat ringing in the ears depends on a number of factors including general health, medical condition, diet, and work or recreational pursuits. I have included links on this page to relevant topics that hopefully will explain some of these issues in more detail.
Many people claim that tinnitus is not treatable and it cannot be cured – I beg to differ! There are many situations and circumstances that can lead to tinnitus. It therefore makes sense that if you can identify the cause and remove it, then you may well cure your tinnitus.
I admit that is perhaps a simplistic explanation, but none-the-less true for all that. Some tinnitus treatment regimens can take a long time before any progress is found. It all depends on a multitude of circumstances – as already highlighted on this page.
The bottom line is that if you suffer from tinnitus, then you do not have to just ‘put up with it.’ A natural non-invasive cure for tinnitus could be just within your grasp with a little tenacity and application.
The lists above are by no means conclusive, but perhaps a good starting point towards your own tinnitus remedy.