Tinnitus Treatments

Tinnitus Treatment - Top Ten Tinnitus Treatments

If you suffer from a Tinnitus, then you know that finding an effective Tinnitus treatment would be tantamount to finding a pot of gold. The condition can bring you to the point where seemingly all you want out of life itself is a few shining moments of blissful, peaceful silence.

The one problem? It seems most Tinnitus treatments are pretty hit and miss. Of course, every person's body is different, so all treatments are going to have a certain element of "your mileage may vary" built into them. However, each of the top ten treatments do have their group of supporters who say that it was this method that was able to finally give them that blessed silence.

Let's take a look at what the top ten treatments for Tinnitus are:

1) White Noise - In some peoples' experience, white noise can block out the ringing effects of tinnitus, effectively canceling it out, so to speak. The problem with this approach is that, even if it works as promised, it's a logistical impossibility to feed white noise into your consciousness 24 hours a day.

2) Homeopathic Remedies - There are a variety of organic, or homeopathic, powders and mixtures which can be purchased at vegetarian markets and independent health stores. The reported success rates are mixed at best, but if you do go down this road, make sure that what you purchase and ingest is safe. Make sure you are dealing with a reputable brand. These types of pills and powders are not regulated by the FDA, remember, so the impetus is on the consumer to do their due diligence.

3) Lifestyle Adjustments - Steering clear of the lifestyle elements which can help cause Tinnitus - for instance, stress and loud noises - will also serve you well in attempting to treat it.

4) Blood Pressure Medication - There have been somewhat consistent reports of the symptoms of Tinnitus easing for people after they begin taking blood pressure medication. However, this could also be attributed to an overall decrease in stress levels.

5) Anti-Depressants - Although this hearkens back to the time when much of the medical profession dismissed Tinnitus as a mental illness, and so is an unpalatable solution for some, tricyclic anti-depressants have made some decent headway with the condition. Some examples of anti-depressants which have shown decent results are Nortriptyline and benzodiazepines.

6) Magnesium or Zinc Supplements - There is no empirical data to support the effectiveness of magnesium or zinc supplements, but there is anecdotal evidence as to their effectiveness.

7) Ginko Biloba - Like magnesium and zinc supplements, there are proponents of ginko biloba who say that it worked wonders for their cases of Tinnitus. However, there has never been a study performed, let alone an academic double blind study, so there is no hard evidence to back that up. Moreover, there is also a lot of anecdotal evidence from people who state that ginko biloba did nothing to help them.

8) Acupuncture - Acupuncture has been reported to have immediate dissipating effects on the ringing and buzzing in the ears of Tinnitus sufferers, and, in some cases, these effects have been long lasting - possibly due to a decrease in overall stress. There are some drawbacks, however. First of all, the Acupuncture must be continued for the relief to continue. Also, the idea of needles being stuck into their body is frightening to some people. Lastly, particularly if you are not from a metro area, it can be quite difficult to find a qualified and reputable acupuncturist.

9) Hypnosis - Again, hypnosis joins the ranks of the other treatments on the list which are supported by anecdotal success stories but not by any hard scientific proof. It makes sense that hypnosis would work as a Tinnitus treatment by addressing the underlying stress root cause, but there is no hard proof that there is any more to it than that.

10) Therapy - Cognitive therapy (in the common parlance, "talk therapy") is recommended for people dealing with Tinnitus to help deal with the emotional fallout of the condition. Some people experience emotional turmoil so severe that, combined with near complete lack of sleep, it can drive them almost to the point of psychotic break. And since stress is actually one of the triggers for Tinnitus, this of course only makes the ringing and buzzing louder, which in turn feeds the emotional turmoil even more - turning the whole thing into a viscious cycle.

You might be thinking that it seems as if none of the traditional Tinnitus treatments are completely effective. That's absolutely correct, as it happens. All of the treatments have varying levels of effect for different individuals, but each of them does have some success behind it.