Tinnitus is a condition of perceiving or hearing a sound by the ears, even if there is no external sound source. The symptoms are usually subjective and patients may describe the sound as humming, buzzing, whooshing, echoing or even screaming. In choosing the appropriate Tinnitus treatment, one must know its underlying causes.
Facts about the Condition
Tinnitus is not a disease but a symptom of other health conditions. Its physical cause is the impaction of wax in the ears or a foreign body. Damages in ear muscles and bones may also produce it.
Patients of hearing loss complain of Tinnitus. It is ironic that they hear the annoying sound, but fail to hear external sources. This is why aging is closely related to Tinnitus. One out of five people with ages 55 to 65 experience the annoying hum in their ears. Through aging, the nerve endings of the ears get damaged.
The ears’ nerves are very sensitive. Its parts are located very close to the brain and the blood stream. High blood pressure and vascular problems are also sensed by the ears. These manifest as unwanted sounds.
Types of Tinnitus Treatment
There are several Tinnitus treatment methods available. However, most of them are still in the experimental and testing stage.
1. Surgery and Implantation Implants in the ear and brain are proven to reduce the symptoms. This is done by placing inhibitors in the cochlea or near the nerve endings. This, however, is used only for those who have already lost their hearing. It should also be considered as last resort because the operation is very delicate.
2. Acupuncture A very promising method is acupuncture. There are hundreds of successful Tinnitus treatment cases that used this ancient Chinese technique. However, there are few acupuncture experts in America.
Acupressure, yoga and meditation therapies are also being tested for effectiveness.
3. Use of Masking Noise Another alternative therapy is the application of White Noise. This is usually a non-invasive procedure where the patient is exposed to a gentle sound. The gentle sound can mask Tinnitus.
Sound masking can also be done at home by playing soft music or leaving the air conditioner on. Hearing aids also lessens it symptoms. The key is to utilize an “external sound” that will take the patient’s attention from the “internal sound”
4. Nervous and Muscle Targeting Drugs
Drugs that help in Tinnitus treatment come mostly from three groups: anti-convulsion, nervous-affecting and anesthetics. However, effectiveness is still lower than 50 percent. There are also risks of unwanted side effects. Some anesthetics can damage ear muscles as well.
Lidocaine, for example, works on 2 out of 5 people by suppressing the unwanted sound. However, the drugs need another chemical to counteract the negative side-effects.