Can an antihistamine give you Tinnitus relief? Yes, but only if you are currently suffering from allergies. For a more long-term tinnitus prevention and curative solution, we offer a solution later in the post. Also, antihistamines are only a temporary fix for Tinnitus. But, if it is antihistamines you need, which antihistamine is best for Tinnitus? What are the types of antihistamines out there? Which one should you take? Let’s discuss.
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What is an Antihistamine and How Can It Help Tinnitus?
Histamine is a chemical created by your immune system. It is produced as a defense mechanism to protect the body against foreign allergens like pollen or dander. When your immune system produces lots of histamine, it can cause sneezing, congestion, watery eyes and clogged sinuses.
An antihistamine, as the name suggests, limits or stops your body’s histamine production. With histamine secretion stopped, you sneeze, cough and congest less, thereby giving you relief from conditions like allergies, cold or a bad case of sinusitis.
But, how do histamines help with Tinnitus?
How Severe is Your Tinnitus?
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Histamine, Sinus Cavities and Your Ears
There’s a tube called the Eustachian tube that runs from the back of your nose to your ears. This tube is the reason why your ears feel full when you close your mouth and try to blow air with your mouth. It connects the sinus cavity to your ears. The role of this tube is to help your ears maintain a pressure that is appropriately synchronized with the environmental pressure you live in. But, when you have an allergy or cold, the excess histamine production fills the sinus cavity with mucus. This mucus then clogs the Eustachian tube. Your Eustachian tube then temporarily loses the ability to help your ears maintain the optimal amount of pressure it needs to function well.
With abnormal pressure, your ear drums and your cochlea begin to malfunction, resulting in several symptoms like Tinnitus, a feeling of fullness or muffled hearing.
Take a antihistamine and your sinus cavities can clear up, restoring Eustachian tube function. Your ear pressure then normalizes and normal hearing is restored, with the ringing or Tinnitus also potentially being switched off.
Antihistamines can help Tinnitus by;
- Drying sinus cavities, allowing for the Eustachian tube that connects sinus cavities to your ears to unclog
- Reducing effusion in the middle ear
- Increasing ventilation in tympanic cavities
- Equalizing cochlea and eardrum pressure
- Improving blood flow to ear structures
Types of Antihistamines for Tinnitus
There are two types of antihistamines that can help you with your allergies or colds, then helping you with your Tinnitus as well. They are broadly classified as first generation and second generation antihistamines.
First Generation Antihistamines
These antihistamines cross the blood brain barrier. What that essentially means is that they cause drowsiness by inducing a mild sedative effect. The also don’t stay active for very long in the body. In other words, a more frequent dosing is required to see results. Benadryl, Vicks NyQuil and Tylenol Cold are popular first generation type antihistamines. You can learn a lot more about antihistamines here.
Second Generation Antihistamines
These types of antihistamines do not cross the blood brain barrier. They therefore do not produce a sedative effect. Second generation antihistamines are however not recommended for people with an enlarged prostate.
What is the Best Antihistamine for Tinnitus?
Remember that antihistamines are meant to treat allergies, cold and hay fever. When an antihistamine gives you relief from such conditions, your Tinnitus also tends to improve. So, when looking for antihistamine, you must look for one that gives you the best relief from allergies, colds or your sinusitis condition.
First generation antihistamines like Benadryl, NyQuil or Tylenol Cold are good for short term or one-time use. Try these antihistamines if you are not affected by allergies or colds often. They are also best taken when you can go to sleep, as they can make you drowsy.
If you however have a chronic tendency to experience common colds or allergies, you are definitely much better off with second generation antihistamines. Popular OTC second generation antihistamines are Zyrtec (Active Ingredient = Cetirizine), Claritin (Active Ingredient = Loratadine) and Allegra (Active Ingredient = Fexofenadine).
Natural antihistamines are also quite popular these days. These supplements use natural compounds like Stinging Nettle, Quercetin, Bromelain and Butterbur as active ingredients.
You might also be interested to read;
- Benadryl for Tinnitus
- Flonase for Tinnitus
- Sinusitis and Tinnitus
- Allergies and Tinnitus
- Vicks Vaporub for Tinnitus
If an antihistamine can provide you Tinnitus relief, you will typically experience these signs that ear ringing is going away, a few hours after taking an antihistamine.
