Alternative Treatments for Tinnitus
This article introduces a variety of alternative treatments which may be useful to all those people who are suffering from Tinnitus. They are based not on a plain one sided approach to treatment but through holistic methods of remedy because Tinnitus is not an ailment but a symptom resulting from various underlying causes. The hearing system is not isolated but associated with our nervous system. These alternative methods do not overlook this reality and attempt to tackle Tinnitus treatment from a number of directions.
On the side of predictable cures, there is an option of an alternative treatment for tinnitus which may be equally or even more effective than medications or drug treatments. Tinnitus may be triggered not by just one but various underlying causes such as a hypertension from taking drugs such as aspirin, injury of the neck, unwanted tissue growth like tumors, allergies etc. Therefore a holistic approach is essential to solve the problem. The different underlying causes need to be tackled in various ways. This is where an alternative treatment for tinnitus comes to the rescue. The different cures that have been successfully used by the Tinnitus sufferers are listed below:
- Biofeedback is unique relaxation technique which trains patients to switch their body’s reaction to stress. It has helped a lot of patients in relieving the ringing in the ears. It also reduces the muscle tension and aids in controlling the pulse rate and skin temperature.
- Diet has been successful in controlling if not eliminating totally tinnitus in a number of cases mainly because research shows a close link between dietary patterns and the irritating ringing symptoms. Decreased salt intake to keep the blood pressure within the normal range because a high blood pressure may limit blood supply to vessels in the ear and diminishes the blood delivery for the hearing system in the ear. Thus, smoking is also prohibited because this causes blood to become viscose. Refined sugar, sugar substitutes, processed food, saturated and trans-fats have been linked to tinnitus symptoms as well. A “Mediterranean Diet” which recommends physical exercise along with an intake of fresh fruits and vegetables is considered to be most excellent diet suited for relieving tinnitus patients of their ear ringing. Furthermore, research shows that Magnesium is found to trigger tinnitus in many cases.
- Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT) – a method of treating tinnitus based around a neurophysiological model of the condition. It embraces various techniques, including explanation, counseling, relaxation, and sound therapy with the use of an electronic device to mask the tinnitus ringing noise. A mask is to be worn for a certain time period during the day and it produces white noise. The white noise instrument is a device, resembling a small hearing aid, which produces sounds of many frequencies at equal intensities and is used in the treatment of tinnitus by interfering with and reducing the ear ringing. This Tinnitus treatment has been also referred to as the Tinnitus masker. Moreover, this technique is used to train the brain to ignore the tinnitus noise by habituation, or learning to ignore the ringing in the ears.
- Neuromonics Tinnitus Treatment is another alternative means to cure tinnitus ear noise. It is an advanced technology in which the masking piece of equipment is distorted to suit the patient according to his or her hearing and scale of tinnitus. This therapy is a major breakthrough in the treatment of tinnitus because of its customized or modified approach instead of a general one size fits all solution.
- Hypnotherapy is a form of psychotherapy that utilizes hypnosis and is widely used to curb the nuisance of tinnitus ear ringing. Cognitive therapy – another form of psychotherapy based on the belief that psychological problems are the products of faulty ways of thinking about the world. For example, a depressed patient may have come to see him or herself as powerless to change their circumstances. The therapist assists the patient to identify these false ways of thinking and to avoid them. Thus, these therapies kick off the negative emotions related with tinnitus like stress, anxiety, anger etc. It develops the subconscious mind of Tinnitus patients to ignore the disturbing sounds by focusing on pleasant sounds.
- Herbs such as Gingko Biloba have therapeutic properties and have proven to be effective in treating Tinnitus.
Besides these alternate treatments, some easy natural methods can be used and have been known to be effective too. One should include regular exercise in one’s regimen and avoid smoking. A healthy lifestyle may help in bringing about long term benefits and will increase the effectiveness of your Tinnitus treatments. Avoiding exposure to loud sounds is also recommended to prevent tinnitus worsening.
