What Is Tinnitus and Ways to Treat It

Tinnitus is a condition that causes ringing in the ear or other sounds which can prove to be quite distressing for the patient. Those suffering with tinnitus often find the noise to be distracting and unsettling and to interfere with many aspects of daily life. Thus it is very important for them to understand the condition and to find effective tinnitus relief in some form. Here we will look at what tinnitus is, what causes it and what tinnitus treatment is available.

Causes

This isn't a disease but rather a symptom that can be caused by a variety of different causes. Most often the cause is noise-induced hearing loss – which is deafness caused by exposure to a loud noise such as an explosion. Other potential causes include neurological damage, oxidative stress, emotional stress, ear infection, foreign objects that have become trapped in the ear, allergies, wax build-up, fluid drain and withdrawal from some medications such as benzodiazepines.

One thing that makes diagnosis and treatment for tinnitus difficult is that it is a 'subjective' condition. This means that these is no way for a physician or anyone else to 'measure' the extent of the problem. Patients must rate their own experience on a scale ranging from 'slight' to 'catastrophic'.

Symptoms

The precise nature of the sound caused by tinnitus can vary widely. While some people will experience ringing, others describe the sound as buzzing, hissing, humming, whistling, clicking or roaring. Meanwhile other people will even hear tones or music. Whooshing sounds in the ears are often the cause of muscle spasms in the ears.

Generally, tinnitus will also be accompanied by hearing loss and interestingly that hearing loss is often in the same range as the phantom sounds. This latter finding has led to the theory that tinnitus could be caused by a homeostatic response of the central dorsal cochlear nucleus auditory neurons making them hyperactive as a compensation for loss of auditory input.

Another symptom is 'tinnitus annoyance' which is frustration caused by the tinnitus. This is more common and severe in those who also struggle with psychological conditions like depression, anxiety or insomnia. Those with worse tinnitus may find it negatively affects their mental health and can impact on their relationships, career, sleep and general health as a result.

Treatment

There is no 'cure' for tinnitus and so most tinnitus treatment revolves around dealing with symptoms. Cognitive behavioral therapy is commonly used in order to try and treat the psychological aspects of tinnitus and the effects of 'tinnitus annoyance'.

As tinnitus is highly frustrating for many people, therapy like this is often needed to help provide some tinnitus relief. Meanwhile sleep problems may be treated with melatonin. Hearing aids and treatments for hearing generally can also be used effectively.

Medication and supplementation can also be effective in many cases – though it is important to use the right product such as Tinnitivix.

Tinnitivix uses three crucial pathways for combating tinnitus, which are nerve optimization, natural anti-inflammatory properties and vital nutrients. Together these help to provide a three pronged approach to treating tinnitus that gives short term tinnitus relief as well as providing long-term tinnitus treatment. Tinnitivix also has the advantage of being a form of natural tinnitus treatment and not having the same side effects as some more serious medications like benzodiazepines which are also used in some cases.

Fortunately in many cases, tinnitus is mild and patients will be able to 'get used to it' after a while. A large 10-15% of adults will experience mild tinnitus of some sort, but it is only in rare cases that this develops into a more severe issue that causes tinnitus annoyance and other issues.