Tinnitus - ringing in the ears

What is tinnitus?

Causes of tinnitus

Triggers for tinnitus

Prevention / remedies / cures / treatment for tinnitus

New hope from 2018 study

References

What is tinnitus?

Tinnitus is a whistling, ringing, buzzing, or hissing noise that seems to come from inside the ears or head with no external source for the sound. The type of sound, the volume and the duration can vary depending on the person. It can stop and start, or continue for years.

Some people find it affects their sleep and concentration, making them depressed or anxious. Tinnitus is often linked to hearing loss, and sufferers cannot hear a range of other frequencies. They have difficulty hearing a conversation if there is other background noise.

About 15% of all Americans suffer from tinnitus, and nearly 1% of Americans have it so badly that it is difficult for them to work or carry on with normal daily living.

The most common cause of tinnitus is repeated exposure to loud noise. The tinnitus can occur immediately, or up to ten years later. Hearing damage from a single loud noise such as an explosion can also lead to tinnitus. Sometimes, there is no apparent cause.

Causes of tinnitus

• Exposure to loud noises, even decades previously.
• High levels of glutamate. Glutamate is the most abundant excitatory neurotransmitter in your central nervous system.
• Inflammation.
• Over 250 medications list tinnitus as a common side-effect of usage including aspirin and antibiotics.
• Ear or sinus infections.
• Zinc deficiency. There is a significant quantity of zinc in the central nervous system, including the auditory pathway in synapses of the vestibulocochlear nerve (auditory vestibular nerve) and in the cochlea. Up to two in three people suffering from tinnitus suffer from zinc deficiency, particularly among the elderly. Four of five small studies showed that supplementation with zinc had a beneficial effect on tinnitus, however these small studies need to be confirmed in larger clinical trials. (3, 4)
• Calcium deposits, hypercalcemia.
• Vestibular disorders (dizziness, vertigo, imbalance).
• Meniere's disease.
• Hypertension (high blood pressure) or cardiovascular disease.
• Allergies.
• Pyroluria.
• Exposure to electromagnetic radiation, particularly at the microwave level from sources such as mobile phones, wi-fi connections, cordless phones, cell phone towers and base stations. Some individuals are particularly susceptible to EMF radiation. (2)
• Underactive thyroid or hypothyroidism.
• In rare cases, a tumour or growth.

A common theme is impaired or obstructed nerve impulse and circulation in the ear.

Triggers for tinnitus

• Focusing on the tinnitus. The more you think about it, the worse it gets.
• Periods when your head, neck or jaw are extended or stressed. Jaw misalignment (TMJ).
• Stress. Try meditation or deep breathing exercises.
• Loud noise.
• Complete silence. When there is total silence, by contrast the tinnitus appears louder. Try using other sounds to distract from and mask the tinnitus. When trying to sleep, put on some gentle music, turn on a fan, listen to a ticking clock, etc.
• Allergic reactions.
• Lack of exercise. Exercise improves the blood flow in the ear. Good circulation can heal the tinnitus.
• Air travel, changes in air pressure.
• Salt in excess, especially if it is refined salt and not natural sea salt.
• High blood pressure.
• Earwax build-up in the inner ear.
• Medications - many pharmaceuticals can cause or contribute to tinnitus. My tinnitus was set off by Regaine hair loss treatment. Hundreds of other meditations can cause or trigger tinnitus.
• Alcohol.
• Tonic water.
• Tobacco smoke.
• Caffeine - try cutting down on coffee, tea and cola.

WARNING. If you have tinnitus only on one side but not the other, see a doctor immediately. Tinnitus is normally balanced, with the same volume in both ears. If the noise is only in one ear, this is an indication that there is a disturbance such as a tumour on that side.

Prevention / remedies / cures / treatment for tinnitus

• Manual spinal manipulation therapy to correct specific problems which may be a primary cause of tinnitus. In particular, the upper spine should be evaluated for abnormalities. The frequency of the adjustments will depend on the recommendations of the individual chiropractor or osteopath that you choose.
• Reduce excessive glutamate. Avoid aspartate, aspartame and monosodium glutamate (MSG). Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is a glutamate inhibitor. Take two 750mg GABA capsules per day, one in the morning and one in the evening, away from food (on an empty stomach). Check with your doctor before taking GABA, especially if you are taking any medicines which may affect your brain or nervous system. It will take at least weeks, and sometimes months before an improvement is noticed.
• Taurine.
• DMSO. A 40% DMSO solution may be dropped in each ear. Also mix a few drops of DMSO, a few drops of aloe vera, and a pinch of cayenne pepper and rub it on the skull behind and around the ear. Apply the drops and this topical application twice a day. (5)
• Zinc.
• Exercise. Aerobic exercise to improve cardiovascular circulation.
• Relaxation. Meditation; releasing muscles around the jaw area.
• Diet, as recommended throughout Grow Youthful.
• GABA.
• Methylene blue.
• Attitude and emotion. What is the reason that you have the tinnitus, and is there a higher purpose for being healed? What are your beliefs about the tinnitus?

New hope from 2018 study

A study (1) published in January 2018 may lead to a device becoming available that can reduce or remedy tinnitus. It uses precisely timed sound and skin stimulation to target fusiform nerve activity in the brain.

According to lead researcher Susan Shore, in someone with tinnitus, fusiform cells create sound signals when there is no actual sound. "These signals are transmitted to the auditory part of the brain and are interpreted as sound when there is no sound stimulus," she said.

The study used a device to pacify fusiform activity by using a combination of sounds and mild electrical stimulation of the skin. Subjects in the study used the device for 30 minutes a day for four weeks. They had significant improvements to their tinnitus, which lasted for between one and four weeks. Further studies will determine how long the device needs to be used, how long lasting the improvement is, and any long-term effects.

The researchers noted that the tinnitus sufferers who benefited the most from using the device were those who could temporarily change their tinnitus level by clenching their jaws, sticking out their tongues, or twisting their necks.

References

1. Kendra L. Marks, David T. Martel, Calvin Wu, Gregory J. Basura, Larry E. Roberts, Kara C. Schvartz-Leyzac, Susan E. Shore. Auditory-somatosensory bimodal stimulation desynchronizes brain circuitry to reduce tinnitus in guinea pigs and humans. Science Translational Medicine, 03 Jan 2018: Vol. 10, Issue 422, eaal3175. DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aal3175.

2. Michael Landgrebe, Ulrich Frick, Simone Hauser, Goeran Hajak, Berthold Langguth. Association of Tinnitus and Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity: Hints for a Shared Pathophysiology? PLoS One. 2009; 4(3): e5026. Published online 27 March 2009. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0005026, PMCID: PMC2657824. PMID: 19325894.

3. Claudia Barros Coelho, Richard Tyler, Marlan Hansen. Zinc as a possible treatment for tinnitus. Prog Brain Res. 1 January 2007; 166:279-85. PMID: 17956792.

4. H Nedim Arda, Umit Tuncel, Ozgur Akdogan, Levent N Ozluoglu. The role of zinc in the treatment of tinnitus. Otol Neurotol. 2003 Jan;24(1):86-9. PMID: 12544035.

5. Archie H. Scott. The DMSO Handbook for Doctors. 5 July 2013.