Tinnitus: What Causes It And How Do You Manage It?
Tinnitus is one of the more frequent ailments, with over 50 million Americans alone suffering from tinnitus. Some people have a very mild form of tinnitus with slight buzzing or humming while for some it can be debilitating. Tinnitus itself isn’t technically disease, but rather a symptom of another underlying cause. This can range from an injury to the ear to a tumor or other growth in the ear canal. Whatever is causing your tinnitus, there are several forms of treatment to get the annoying noises that it causes.
Hearing Aids
One of the more common forms of treatment that you’ll see for tinnitus is the use of a hearing aid, especially in older patients. That’s because one of the more common causes of tinnitus is age related hearing loss, and hearing aids go hand in hand with that. Hearing aids help because when you experience hearing loss, your body tends to make up for that stimulation and the activity can create those buzzing sounds that tinnitus brings. With hearing aids, your brain doesn’t have to make up for that lack of hearing.
Diet and Exercise
Believe it or not, your physical activity is actually linked to your risk for tinnitus. Studies have shown that people who eat diets that are lower in fats and starches are less likely to experience tinnitus. An increase in physical activity was also linked to lower levels of tinnitus thanks to increased blood flow, with tinnitus being a symptom of poor circulation. Also, make sure you’re getting the proper amount of nutrients in your diet, as vitamin B12 and protein have been found to ease tinnitus.
Medications
There aren’t many medications that are made simply to treat tinnitus, but there are some medications that can help. Most of these are antidepressants or anti-anxiety medications, such as Elavil or Valium. Again, the use of these medications is to cut down on the severity of the symptoms rather than to treat tinnitus itself. If you don’t need any of these medications for mental health, it’s best to go another route for treatment.
Retraining Therapy
For a treatment that doesn’t really focus on anything that includes a lot of technology or medication, you may want to try tinnitus retraining therapy. This all natural approach is a way to adjust your hearing so that you don’t focus too much on the buzzing and humming. Some of this is psychological training, which can also help to relieve anxiety if you are suffering from that, too. This is a more holistic and new approach to tinnitus, but the early results have been good for patients that use this option.
Dental Treatment
Another one of the most common reasons that people experience tinnitus is due to dental issues. This includes people with abscessed teeth and impacted wisdom teeth. If you’re not taking good care of your teeth, there’s a strong chance that it’s the cause of your tinnitus. Check in with a dentist to see if your teeth are the underlying issue.
Implants
Finally, those with severe tinnitus may be eligible to have a cochlear implant placed into their ears. These implants are typically reserved for other ailments, but have been found to be great for tinnitus treatment, as well. There is an adjustment period after the implant, but the long term results are very positive.