I have had moderate tinnitus in the right ear for over 15 years. During the first 5 years I could get significant relief from high doses of niacin on an empty stomach – of course I had to put up with the rather uncomfortable niacin flush for about 15 minutes but the tinnitus would then subside for up to 5 days initially. However, over about a 5 year period it became progressively ineffective and presently has no effect. I have tried a number of the highly advertised tinnitus supplements – none of which had any effect. Through self hypnosis I can tolerate the tinnitus, but still would like an effective treatment.
How Tinnitus Develops and Progresses
How does tinnitus develop?
Where did this come from?
Will it get worse?
Most individuals who have just been told they, or a loved one, is suffering from tinnitus have to ask what that is. Then, they have a lot more questions they need answers to, including how tinnitus develops and how it gets worse.
What Is The Cause?
Tinnitus is the ringing in your ears you hear that no one but you hears. There are no external sources of sound. More than twelve million people in the United States have tinnitus. There are several causes for tinnitus.
- Too much noise can cause the development of it, especially if the noise is a constant occurrence.
- Medications can cause tinnitus. If you have the condition, always inform a prescribing doctor about your tinnitus as some medications can worsen the condition.
- A build up of wax in the ear canal can be the underlying cause. Here, manually having it removed (not with a cotton swab but a specialized device) can improve the condition.
You may have tinnitus caused by something else. The underlying problem is that there is damaged to the hearing cells in your ear. This causes the ringing to happen and it could get worse.
Will It Get Worse?
In some forms of tinnitus, the loss of hearing or the increasing ringing will worsen over time. This can be hastened, too. For example, if you have continuous exposure to loud sounds, the tinnitus will continue to advance. If you take medications known to lead to tinnitus, the condition will progress.
Is There No Hope?
There is hope and a lot of it. Some forms of tinnitus are reversible by improving the conditions themselves. For example, an ear infection can cause tinnitus. Improving the ear infection will improve the tinnitus. Most forms of tinnitus are difficult to cure.
There are ways to improve the symptoms and the ringing, though.
1. Use earplugs or specially designed ear covers to avoid exposure to loud noises.
2. Eat a healthy diet to lower cholesterol and reduce blood pressure, which can make the ringing louder and more persistent.
3. Engage in de-stressing activities like meditation, counseling, and exercise. Relaxing is an important part of reducing symptoms.
The progression of tinnitus is an individual occurrence. What happens to you may be different from what happens to someone else.
Note that there are ways to slow this progress that are natural and holistic. These may help you to stop the progression altogether.
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Robert Foster
August 22, 2009
