Can Tinnitus Be Eliminated?
It is estimated that around 35 million individuals in the United States experience bouts of constant buzzing, ringing or breaking-glass sound in their ears. Derived from the Latin word “tiinniere”, tinnitus is an ailment which means “ringing in the ears”, and is caused by a number of factors, which may manifest as a loud bang, a high-pitched roar or whining, or even as a low-pitched whistle or hum that sometimes may even go in tune with the person’s pulse or heart beat. So can tinnitus be eliminated? The answer is yes, although the treatment modes may have different outcomes for patients. Some may experience relief in a few days or weeks, while some need to keep enduring it for months and possibly a year or more.
Medical experts stress that tinnitus is a disorder which may actually be a symptom of an underlying medical condition, such as an ear or throat infection, stress, the clogging of the ear canals with ear wax, a damaged auditory nerve, blood vessel disorders, diabetes, thyroid problems and other temporomandibular irregularities. It may also be a side effect from taking a number of medications such as ibuprofen, caffeine, aspirin or even birth control pills. Can tinnitus be eliminated? Medical experts constantly stress that relief for ringing ears may be simple, or may require that the patient undergo a battery of diagnostic and hearing tests. However for some, the underlying causes may never be established, which can be utterly frustrating for both the patient and their physician.
But whenever the causes are quickly traced and identified, the treatment methods can then be properly planned and focused. For example, if the causes for the bouts of ringing ears are traced to the use of aspirin, then the aspirin use could then be discontinued and an alternative medication would then be given. These days, doctors implement a mixture of treatment modes, ranging from relaxation exercises and training, biofeedback, specialized psychotherapy and counseling sessions, as well as giving the patient a couple of approved herbal therapies. A number of anti-anxiety drugs may also be given, as well as a variety of antidepressant medications and muscle relaxants.
Can tinnitus be eliminated only by these medications and therapies? Apart from the methods mentioned earlier, doctors may also employ the use of specialized hearing aids and equipment, as well as provide electronic masking devices, hearing aid implants and other auditory stimulation devices for severe cases of tinnitus. Alternative and non-traditional methods like acupuncture, hypnosis and chiropractic adjustments may also be employed, depending on whether the patient is receptive to these methods.
