Medical Treatment for Tinnitus

If you think tinnitus is a disease, then let me make it clear that it is not. It is a symptom of diseases such as ear infection, hearing loss etc. Sometimes, we hear a "whooshing" sound of wind or waves in our ears. This is known as tinnitus. It originates in the head as well as in the ear. In some patients, it takes the form of buzzing, hissing, humming or other high-pitched sounds. Sometimes, due to excessive wax in our ears, tinnitus is likely to occur.

According to a recent research, approximately 36 million Americans suffer from this disorder. Tinnitus can occur in any of the part of the ear, such as the outer ear, middle ear or inner ear, and the brain.

Causes of Tinnitus

There are many causes of tinnitus. Mostly, tinnitus occurs due to damage in the microscopic endings of the hearing nerve. Injury to this nerve may lead to hearing loss too. An old person usually suffers from certain amount of hearing nerve impairment. However, in case of youth, loud noise can be the leading cause of tinnitus. Besides this, there are other causes that may lead to ringing in the ear, such as a blow on the head, frequent use of certain drugs for headaches, anemia, noise exposure, stress etc.

Treatment for Tinnitus

Tinnitus is a common medical disorder that can occur to a person in any phase of his/her life. Therefore, it is better to take precautionary measures for tinnitus. The treatments for tinnitus are mentioned below:

Use of Ear Plugs: One may suffer from tinnitus because of excessive noise. So, ear plugs are advisable for those suffering from this disorder.

Ear Drops: A person with an ear infection, can also have tinnitus. To cure this, physicians suggest ear drops containing hydrocortisone can be used. This will help in relieving the itching and ringing sound in the ear. It is advisable to consult a doctor, before starting any form of treatment.

Use of Suction Device: If excessive earwax is the cause, then it can be treated by cleaning out the wax with a cotton-tipped probe or a suction device.

Use of Tinnitus Mask: Tinnitus mask is a kind of hearing aid. This mask produces a sound that is more tolerable than the ringing sound one hears. It acts as a distractor and helps to cure ear ringing.

Use of Medicines: If your ear ringing is caused by an ear infection, then medicines like antibiotics are helpful. Some people have ear ringing problem due to depression and anxiety also. In such cases, doses of antidepressants like amitriptyline may be prescribed by your doctor.

Use of Hearing Aids: If your ear ringing leads to loss of hearing, then use of hearing aids can be the best treatment.

Application of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Here a doctor examines the unwanted thoughts, attitudes, beliefs and behaviors of a patient with the help of cognitive behavioral therapy.

Surgery: If you are having a chronic tinnitus problem, or your tinnitus is caused by a benign tumor, then it is better to opt for surgery.

Positive Thinking: It is the main way to treat tinnitus. People with positive attitude find it more manageable, than the people with negative attitude.

Relaxation Therapy: Relaxation therapy such as yoga, meditation and hypnosis help in the treatment of tinnitus. Utilizing any one of these, can relieve stress and anxiety that may lead to tinnitus.

Vitamin Therapy: A low dose of pulsatilla and Chinese foxglove root (Rehmannia glutinosa) is used in the treatment of tinnitus by herbalists as a vitamin treatment. These help in lessening lightheadedness, hearing loss, palpitations, blurred vision, headaches, exhaustion and neuralgia that are caused by tinnitus.

Other Treatments: Apart from the above mentioned treatments, there are biofeedback, electrical stimulation, counseling and habituation therapies that are used as medical treatment for tinnitus.

Thus, we can conclude that with the above mentioned treatment, tinnitus is not incurable. Depending on the cause, tinnitus can be treated.