There is so much you can do to help Tinnitus!

Tinnitus is a hearing disturbance characterized by a sensation of persistent noise, often described as ringing, buzzing, or roaring. It is one of the most common hearing disorders, affecting around 20% of the general population and 33% of the elderly and it can be difficult to treat as there can be multiple reasons for the condition.  It can be a short term thing, or for some just never goes away.

Tinnitus can be caused by a number of different conditions including build-up of inner ear wax, ear infections, vestibular disorders, exposure to loud noises, Meniere's disease, low thyroid function, hypertension, allergies, and on very rare cases a tumor. Over 250 medications list tinnitus as a common side effect of usage including aspirin and anti-biotics.

If you think you have ruled out these things but still suffer from tinnitus don't despair and there are many things you can try to help get relief from tinnitus....

Lifestyle and Diet for Tinnitus....

We can't start a discussion on Tinnitus without looking at the effects of our diet on the condition.  Research has shown that the many cases of chronic tinnitus are possibly part of a degenerative process characterised by chronic inflammation. This inflammation can lead to poor circulation within the inner ear.

However with certain lifestyle and diet changes it is possible to reverse this inflammatory damage before it is too late.

So what happen is when you have diets high in processed food high in refined sugars, bad fats, junk food, too much coffee, meat, chemical, additives, alcohol, cigarettes and all those things we know are bad, this leads to inflammatory causing 'prostaglandins' being released in high amounts. 

These pro-inflammatory mediators cause an increase in vasoconstriction and platelet aggregation. This decreases blood flow into the smaller capillaries of the body such as the inner ear and increases the buildup of lymphatic fluid in the inner ear. 

This combination increases pressure in the inner ear which stimulates the auditory nerve enough to create a series of action potentials that the brain interprets as sound.

In a way, the presence of inflammatory based tinnitus is possibly a warning sign that your entire system has too much inflammation, and this can lead to all sorts of health conditions.

So while I'm not saying you have to stop eating all the fun stuff, you just need to recognise that you need get some balance back and reduce the amount of the 'inflammatory' foods, as well as  increasing the 'anti-inflammatory foods.

What is an anti-inflammatory diet?

• It is one that consists of lots of colourful fibre and antioxidant dense fruits & vegetables, healthy fat sources (Avoid highly processed trans fats and margarines), and small amounts of healthy keep meat products.  
• It is also important to reduce your intake of sugar & highly processed grains.   And the bad guys: high amounts of caffeine, alcohol and processed foods.  Also if you think you react to a food, like gluten for example, then reduce this as well.
• Eat plenty of coconut, olive oil, free range eggs, avocados, and non-starchy vegetables as primary fuels throughout the day. 
• Include lots of brightly coloured fruits such as berries in your diet and eat fresh unprocessed nuts like almonds, walnuts and brazil nuts.

The Mediterranean style of eating is an excellent diet to follow as it has proven anti-inflammatory effects on the body.

Also focus on including lots of anti-inflammatory and circulation boosting herbs in your diet every day like garlic, ginger, the spice turmeric & green tea.

Nutrients and Tinnitus

It seems that out of all the specific nutrients you should take that Zinc is the one that has the most research behind it showing it can reduce Tinnitus. Zinc is a trace mineral that has many functions in the body. Zinc deficiency is known to cause a variety of neurological disorders, as well as immune dysfunction and skin disorders 

According to one study, People with tinnitus experience significant improvement when given supplemental zinc.  The study examined the prevalence of zinc deficiency and the effect of zinc therapy in people with tinnitus. Forty-one people with tinnitus participated in the study, and more than 31% of them were found to have zinc deficiency. All of the participants were randomly assigned to receive either 50 mg of zinc or placebo daily. 

At the end of two months, 46% of the people in the zinc group had clinical improvement.

But it seems you don’t have to be deficient in zinc to benefit as among the people receiving zinc, those with zinc deficiency did not respond differently than those with adequate zinc levels.

So this means zinc deficiency is not critical in the development of tinnitus, but rather that zinc may help people with tinnitus regardless of their zinc status.

Vitamin B12 too
Another nutrient that should be considered alongside zinc is Vitamin B12. This vitamin is a critical player in the formation of the myelin sheaths that surround and insulate nerve fibers. A B12 deficiency makes nerves more susceptible to the inflammatory damage that causes tinnitus. 

Healthy meat sources are a great way to get Vitamin B12 or a B complex containing B12.  It might be an idea to get your B12 levels tested by your doctor so you can see if you are low.

Ginkgo biloba and Tinnitus
As I have covered above, one of the reasons for tinnitus is poor circulation, and this is why it is more common as we age. 

There is one herb that can tackle this issue and it has been clinically trialled to do so is Ginkgo biloba.  A wonderful herb for Tinnitus as it increases blood circulation to the head and the rest of the body (peripheral circulation). It is also a wonderful antioxidant and is used to improve memory, concentration and dementia as well.

Many studies have been carried on the area of Ginkgo Biloba and ear disorders like tinnitus. Some studies were well designed, others not so, but the results of 8 controlled studies were found for the most part to show a statistically significant superiority of Ginkgo Biloba over placebo or reference drugs. Tinnitus of recent onset had a better prognosis.

Details of one study show how effective it can be. This double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of standardised Ginkgo extract in dementia investigated the effects on dizziness and tinnitus. After receiving standardised Ginkgo extract (240 mg/day) for 22 weeks, showed that dizziness was improved in 86% of Ginkgo recipients and in 28% of the placebo group.

Improvement rates for tinnitus were 84% of the Ginkgo-treated patients versus 20% of the placebo group. 

I recommend with Ginkgo that you take it in a tablet or a standardised liquid extract (you would have to get the liquid extract from a herbalist). A tea is not going to give you the required amount you need to get a result as you need high doses of this herb.

If you want to buy one from the pharmacy or health food store you could try Blackmores Ginkgoforte - this has a good clinical dose and is a standardised extract.

Medications and Tinnitus
As mentioned above Aspirin, antibiotics and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are among some of the many common medications that have been linked to tinnitus. 

Aspirin is a common culprit as it commonly taken every day to prevent clotting and reduce stroke or heart attack risk. Generally the odd aspirin won’t cause ringing in the ear, but long term usage of aspirin can, so if you have this problem stop taking the aspirin for a few days as if it is the aspirin causing the problem it will disappear quite quickly.

Tinnitus and Cranial Osteopathy.
If you have unexplained Tinnitus or tinnitus that has come on after an accident or a blow to the head you should seek out an experienced Osteopath who does cranial manipulation.  (Some chiropractors also do cranial manipulation)

It might take a few sessions but I have seen many many times complete recovery from tinnitus from this treatment. 

An injury to the head, however mild you might think it to be, can easily affect the cranial bones and the fluid surrounding your brain to cause inflammation and circulation problems that can lead to dizziness and tinnitus. 

In fact I have found this treatment to be so successful I would recommend you try it, even if you feel there has been no physical trauma.  It may just help to improve circulation to the area.

Without rectifying this physical issue, any other supplements and herbs you might try, may not get the desired effect - so I highly recommend you try it!  

www.aaahtea.co.nz

Tips on how to Detox everyday!

Few of us give our liver a second thought. Yet this overworked organ is responsible for over 500 different functions, including: detoxifying environmental chemicals, storing certain vitamins, controlling cholesterol levels, metabolising fat, and even regulating hormones.  

When talking about this with people, I often get asked if you can drink our Detox-me Herbal tea every day or whether it is just for when you are detoxing. So it inspired me to talk about Detoxing every day.

I think that with so many 'Detox' Kits on the market we have all been conditioned to think that detoxing should be done only once or twice a year, after overindulgence periods. 

But the reality is that is not really the best way to go about it.  In fact many of the expensive detox kits on the market are actually just full of laxatives, so you might feel a bit lighter, but the long term benefits are marginal.

So when I wanted to add a 'Detox' tea to our range I made sure it was safe and easy (eg: tasted good!) to drink every day. 

There are also other things you can do every day to help your overworked liver and digestive tract (some are more overworked than others!!), so instead of doing a once yearly detox here are some tips to on ways to detox every day........

• Firstly start the day with a large glass of warm water with the juice of half a lemon squeezed into it. Your body needs water to flush out toxins in your bowel movements and urine. The addition of fresh lemon juice helps to stimulate your liver to produce bile that helps flush out toxins and it also reduces acidity.

• Also ensure you eat lots of Garlic and Onions as these contain important phytonutrients and sulphur compounds that help your liver metabolise fats and excrete chemicals.

• And if you are looking for a supplement, make it a daily tablet of Milk thistle extract. Milk thistle contains a potent substance called silymarin that protects the liver by inhibiting damaging substances that can cause liver cell damage. Silymarin also prevents the depletion of the nutrient glutathione–one of the most critical nutrients for liver detoxification. Both alcohol consumption and exposure to various types of synthetic chemicals can deplete glutathione in the liver.  (Milk thistle is far too bitter for a tea, so best in a capsule.  I use dandelion root in detox-me as the flavour is more neutral, but it has similar liver cleansing abilities).

• Eat Indian curries!  Turmeric, one of the main spices used in Indian cuisine, adds a yellow-orange color to curry dishes along with a potent healing boost. Turmeric protects the liver from free radical damage. Add turmeric powder to soups, stews, and curries to bolster your liver’s cleansing abilities.

So with a little bit of  liver care and attention it isn't surprising that these simple measures could make a world of difference to your health.

Click here for more info on our yummy Detox-me Healing Herbalist blend...

Exercise combats depression

In a society where medication for depression is becoming an epidemic, it is great to see more research coming out showing there are drug-free ways to achieve good mental health and help those who suffer from depression.

We all know that exercise can make us feel better, the more the heart rate goes up the more endorphins are released. These make us feel happy, and the impact of them lasts for days. So it makes sense that exercise would be a great thing for depressed people, but just how much impact does it have? Well it appears a lot!

An American university research group looked at the impact of exercise on depression. The university split clinically depressed people into 3 groups: exercise only; exercise plus anti-depressant drugs; and anti-depressant drugs only, to see what treatment best treated depression.

They thought the best outcome would be those who were in the combined exercise and drug treatment group, but in fact ten months later, it was the exercise-only group that was most successful in maintaining wellness!

The final results showed that 30 minutes of brisk exercise three times a week is just as effective as drug therapy in relieving the symptoms of depression.

They also followed up the group in six months, and found that patients who continued to exercise after completing the initial trial were much less likely to see their depression return than the other patients.

So what kind of exercise? Well any kind really as long as you get your heart rate up 3x a week for 30minutes.   Walking is the perfect exercise, as long as you make it more than a gentle stroll, but walking and yoga would be even better!

What you might consider a relatively low impact exercise like Yoga can help reduce depression too - it's not just a gentle stretching for aging hippies you know.

It's common knowledge that yoga improves mood and shrugs off stress, but until recently, we didn't know why. A recent study from Boston University School of Medicine discovered that the reason Yoga enthusiasts tend to be happier is that it may be because of yoga's ability to increase levels of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), an endogenous antidepressant neurotransmitter present in the brain.

They followed several healthy individuals who were divided into two groups. The first group practiced yoga over a 12-week long period, while the participants in the other group walked for the same period of time. At the end of the study, researchers evaluated psychological state of both groups and found that subjects who practiced yoga experienced a greater decrease in anxiety and more significant improvements in mood than those who walked.

So it seems these findings certainly indicate that a modest exercise program is an effective treatment for patients with depression, and also just to help lift your daily mood.

But always remember if you are taking anti-depressant medication always discuss with your doctor or health care practitioner before coming off them.

The website www.depression.org also has a lot of great advice on how to help with depression.

Ginger works as well as ibuprofen for Period Pain

Most women have some occasional pain or discomfort during their period. Typical symptoms include cramps, headache, nausea, backache, and fatigue.

Menstrual cramps or period pain are most often felt in the lower abdomen but may also occur in the lower back or spread down the legs. The medical term is dysmenorrhea.

Menstrual cramps affect as many as 50 percent of women of reproductive age and between 60 percent to 80 percent of teenaged girls.

There are basic lifestyle factors you need to consider as in my experience these small changes can make a big difference:

• Walk or exercise regularly. 
• Follow a healthy diet high in a variety of grain, fruits, nuts, seeds and vegetables, and plenty of cold water fish like salmon, tuna, and sardines. 
• Reduce sugar, junk food and caffeine intake

For those who really suffer you can try the herb Ginger. A study was conducted in America in 2009 that compared the effects of ginger and ibuprofen on pain in women with primary dysmenorrhea (period pain).

This was a double-blind comparative clinical trial conducted from September 2006 to February 2007. Participants were 150 students (18 years old and over) with primary dysmenorrhea from the dormitories of two medical universities who were alternately divided into two equal groups.

Students in the ginger group took 250 mg capsules of ginger rhizome powder four times a day for three days from the start of their menstrual period. Members of the other groups received 400 mg ibuprofen capsules, on the same protocol. Severity of disease, pain relief, and satisfaction with the treatment were compared between the groups after one menstruation.

Results showed Ginger was found to be as effective as ibuprofen in relieving period pain.

At the end of treatment, severity of dysmenorrhea decreased in all groups and no differences were found between the groups in severity of dysmenorrhea, pain relief, or satisfaction with the treatment.

So you can find ginger in capsule form in most health food stores - often packaged up as a travel sickness aid.

Or you can drink it as Herbal Infusion. Grate fresh root into a cup or use dried ginger root and pour over boiling water and infuse for 10 minutes.

I recommend drinking 3 cups a day - ideally a couple of days before your period, and definately during!

Click here to go the page on my website with more information on other health benefits of ginger....

Leanne