Tinnitus doesn’t have an FDA approved cure or FDA approved Tinnitus treatment. But, it can be suppressed to the point where you don’t hear the ringing anymore or are not bothered by it. Here are 11 natural ways in which you can potentially cure or manage your Tinnitus, sometimes even permanently.
Natural Tinnitus Treatment
1 Take a hearing test to see if you need hearing aids
You were probably looking for a natural supplement recommendation or home remedy as the first pointer on this list of 11 natural ways to cure Tinnitus. But, taking a hearing test is the smartest thing you can do when you have Tinnitus.
What is Your Tinnitus Handicap Score?
Calculate your THI Score in about 2-3 Minutes
90% of people with Tinnitus also have hearing loss. In most cases, this hearing loss is partial and difficult to self-diagnose. And, if your hearing loss isn’t kept in check with the use of hearing aids, your Tinnitus is going to get worse. This happens because the ringing Tinnitus sound you hear is a phantom noise generated by your brain. Your brain generates this noise to compensate for the hearing loss you are suffering from. This phenomenon is best described as an adverse effect of neuroplasticity.
Therefore, getting yourself tested and fitted for a pair of customized hearing aids can potentially stop or reverse hearing loss. This can in turn allow your Tinnitus to stop getting worse or even give it a chance to resolve permanently.
Please read this post we wrote about how hearing aids can help with Tinnitus.
How Severe is Your Tinnitus?
Find out by using this THI (Tinnitus Handicap Inventory) Scoring Calculator
Some might think that wearing hearing aids is not natural. But, losing your hearing isn’t natural either. If you can do something about, why not!
2 Do you take antidepressants? Switch to a natural one
Tinnitus and depression often go hand in hand. So, it’s not surprising that a lot of people with Tinnitus are on antidepressants and anti-anxiety medicines. But, what they might not know is that antidepressants are ototoxic in nature. In other words, they are toxic to the ears, causing cochlear or vestibular dysfunction, potentially making your Tinnitus worse.
There’s a wide sliding scale when it comes to ototoxicity levels. What that means is that some antidepressants are a lot worse than others when it comes to exacerbating your Tinnitus. This post talks about the best antidepressants for Tinnitus. There, you will also find mention of St. John’s Wort, a natural antidepressant. While even this natural antidepressant is slightly ototoxic, it isn’t nearly as bad as Xanax, Zoloft or the other popular medications out there.
3 Manage Your Stress Levels
Tinnitus makes stress worse. And, stress can make Tinnitus a lot worse. It’s a cycle that you have to break at all costs. Managing Tinnitus induced stress is probably best dealt with habituation. Habituation is when you learn to live with your Tinnitus. While it isn’t ideal, it can have a dramatic effect on your stress levels. Once stress levels reduce, you have a chance to get rid of your Tinnitus, using the natural ways suggested on this page. Here is a post with 10 Tinnitus habituation tips. You can also manage stress and anxiety with exercises, yoga and meditation, discussed below.
4 Tinnitus Exercises, Yoga and Meditation
Any form of exercise, meditation or yoga will help you manage your stress levels. This can in turn help alleviate Tinnitus.
We went a step further and wrote posts with information on how to perform yoga, exercises and meditation specific to having Tinnitus as a condition. Learn about them here;
5 Try Tinnitus Teas
Simply drinking Tinnitus teas can ease Tinnitus, even if it can’t make it go away. Several teas have the ability to calm the nervous system, helping take the edge off a debilitating condition like Tinnitus.
6 Check Your Vitamin and Mineral Levels and Try Supplements
First, check your Magnesium levels. Magnesium plays a very crucial role in maintaining the health of your ears. A lack of magnesium overexcites your auditory cortex and also reduces blood flow to your ears. Addedly, it also lowers your body’s natural protection against loud noises. In other words, Magnesium deficiency is very bad if you already have Tinnitus. You can learn more about Magnesium and Tinnitus here.
After Magnesium, you can probably start by investigating your Vitamin B12 and Vitamin D levels. There have been some good studies that have linked these vitamin deficiencies to Tinnitus prevalence. You can learn more about how these vitamins affect Tinnitus in the links provided above. Check for zinc and iron levels as well.
One other supplement that has got the most press as helpful for Tinnitus is Ginkgo Biloba. We wrote all about this Ginkgo Biloba’s effect on Tinnitus.
Another natural supplement you can try is Melatonin for Tinnitus. Melatonin is your body’s natural sleep hormone. Without it, you won’t sleep well. Many of us don’t produce enough Melatonin to get a good night’s sleep. More on sleep below.
7 Get Better Sleep
Getting better sleep with Tinnitus is easier said than done. But, you must make a conscious effort to try to sleep better, even with the ringing in your ears. Here are some ways to sleep better with Tinnitus.
Sleep is when your body and mind rejuvenates. Chronic insomnia or poor quality sleep can deprive your body of the recovery it needs to even try to resolve a condition like Tinnitus, often making it worse.
8 Get Your Ear Wax Checked Out
Did you know that it could just be your ear wax causing your Tinnitus? When ear wax gets pushed deeper into your ear canal, it can compromise the ear drum which then results in Tinnitus. Thankfully, this is a very easy condition to treat at the doctor’s office. Learn more about ear wax and Tinnitus here. And no, digging with Q-tips isn’t the answer! Also, if you have an infection with ear ache, you might want to look at hydrogen peroxide or Magnilife Tinnitus relief solutions. They might help get rid of the infections and congestions that could possibly also be causing your Tinnitus.
9 Protect Yourself Against Loud Noises
Your ear’s cochlea is very sensitive to loud noises. Chronic exposure to loud noises can cause permanent cell death which then results in hearing loss and Tinnitus. Those who have Tinnitus are usually more sensitive to loud noises than the average population.
If they can’t avoid loud noises, it is essential that they use Tinnitus ear plugs. Such ear plugs don’t necessarily block out sounds but instead normalize decibel levels. This way, you can be aware of your surroundings but protect yourself against unexpected loud noises.
10 Clean Up Your Diet
Surprising as it might sound, salt, sugar, fatty foods and even so called healthy sugar substitutes can all make your Tinnitus worse. Learn more about foods that trigger Tinnitus and avoid them at all costs. Also, learn more about Turmeric and Tinnitus, to see if it will be prudent to include more turmeric in your diet.
11 Give up Alcohol and Smoking
Simply giving up alcohol and cigarettes can dramatically improve your Tinnitus symptoms, making it more manageable. Alcohol makes Tinnitus worse by disrupting your blood pressure and decreasing sleep quality.
Smoking constricts blood flow into your ears, potentially depriving your ear from receiving the nutrients like oxygen, sodium and potassium it needs to function normally.
If you drink or smoke excessively, giving up these habits alone could be one of the best ways to naturally treat and maybe even cure Tinnitus.
Apply these tips to see if your Tinnitus goes away or reduces. There’s no guarantee that ear ringing will go away and there’s also no guarantee that Tinnitus that goes away will not come back. But, if you experience signs that show that Tinnitus is going away, you can try to practice those lifestyle or nutrition habits more, to help seek relief.
