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!  

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