How I Am Treating Tinnitus Naturally - This post highlights the condition tinnitus and some of the natural ways I'm using to treat it.
What is tinnitus?
Tinnitus.
TIN-IT-TUS, not TIN-EYE-TUS, for those of you wondering.
This is a condition where your ears ring, hum, buzz, etcetera, uncontrollably.
I've had a low-grade tinnitus for years, but recently, it became worse.
I believe multiple factors played into its worsening, including stress, allergies (always), and Lyme disease. Though I personally have Lyme, any long-standing, chronic infection that compromises the immune system seems to put people at risk.
It is now at the point of affecting my sleep, so I've began to take more aggressive action with it.
Though I'm at the start of the healing/helping process, I'd like to share a few things I've learned, however predetermined they may be.
This is a condition that can drive you a bit batty, so I feel a kinship to whomever may need immediate help. I know I feel better taking action with problems, so this is a list of things to consider/try if you're in the same boat.
Bear with me, as I'm still learning. I intend this post to be merely helpful. I am NOT a physician.
1. Fungus
Fungus has been linked to many ear problems, including tinnitus. (source)
Fungus is a vague term, but it can include conditions like candida, which I have had in the past. Other immune-compromised individuals are susceptible, including those with diabetes and chronic infections. Given both the candida and diabetes slant, I would wager that anyone with blood sugar or pancreatic issues may be at risk.
My takeaway here is to fight the fungus!
Some of my personal favorite fungus combatants include:
-Pau d'arco tea - I drink this 2-3 times each week; also good for candida!
-Olive leaf - Check out the testimonies on Amazon from people who have not been able to fight their fungus infection with anything but this miraculous plant.
-Garlic - Think about what you see in so many natural ear infection remedies...makes sense it would help to take it internally too!
-Oregano oil - Honorable mention; this one doesn't agree with me very well, but it's a goodie!
Definitely not a complete list, but those are some of the major players.
Another angle to candida is mold, which can often be a root cause.
2. TENS Unit
I came across this method in a very fortuitous manner.
Try googling 'tens unit and tinnitus' and you'll be hit with a number of sites and forums where people have successfully treated their tinnitus with this stimulation device.
I immediately purchased this one, but have yet to really see any results.
Granted, I've only been at it a few days, but yesterday, I did it three times for 10-15 minutes each time. I plan to continue my usage and pray for the best.
I have read that it could get worse before it gets better, and one study said the unit was most effective for somatic tinnitus. (source)
I myself suffer from subjective tinnitus. I hear a hear pitched ringing all the time, with intermittent bouts of loudness.
3. GABA
I saw a naturopath this week regarding my condition, and he gave me some good insight.
There is a glutamate/GABA balance involved in nerve cells.
Glutamate is an excitatory neurotransmitter, which is needed for learning, functioning, etcetera. Too much, however, produces nerve cell death, which leads to inflammation, which (can) lead to conditions like tinnitus.
This particular mechanism hit home with me, as I tend to have trouble with high glutamate foods or anything mimicking MSG. I avoid protein powders, gelatin, collagen, glutamine powder, and additives like 'natural' flavors and onion powder because of this.
If you notice a negative mental or emotional association with your protein powder or collagen supplement, consider this!
Elevated glutamate levels also decrease one of your body's primary detoxifying agents, glutathione.
GABA opposes glutamate.
It is a calming, inhibitory neurotransmitter, and decreased GABA leads to conditions like anxiety, as well as aggressive and anti-social behavior.
In my case, I need to find ways to increase my GABA so as to calm the excitatory effect of too much glutamate.
The two ways I plan to focus on are through magnesium and l-theanine supplements. L-theanine is derived from green tea, so it would stand to reason drinking said tea would also help.
The doctor advised against using GABA supplements, as the success rate is low.
4. Gingko Biloba
There is promising research on the use of gingko for tinnitus, among other mental and emotional maladies. (source)
It is said to work by increasing blood flow to the brain.
I am taking this particular brain formula and love it!
I only use 1-2 drops in some water each morning, and I immediately feel clear, calm, and focused. One of the best products I've tried, seriously. The only thing is, I can't say it's helping the tinnitus, lol!
5. White Noise
I would be getting NO sleep if I didn't have some white noise in my room.
This helps to mask the ringing, which in turn helps me to relax.
Right now, I'm using a huge air purifier, but some bad nights, I'm still able to hear it, so I'm looking into noise machines like this one.
Other modalities I'll be exploring:
-Allergy testing (for underlying cause)
-Vitamin C/glutathione IVs to rebuild nerves and aid in detoxification
-This Ear and Nerve Formula
-Lowering oxalates through diet (oxalates have been linked to tinnitus (source), though for this to be reasonable, one should have their oxalic acid tested through Great Plains Lab organic acids test)
-Salicylates, such as those in aspirin or even food, have been linked to tinnitus (a great article!)
At the end of the day, the cause of your tinnitus is imperative.
Allergies, high blood pressure, tumors, stress, and cardiovascular disorders have all been implicated in this annoying condition. So, if, say, I have an allergy to pumpkin, and I'm doing/taking all of the above to no avail because I'm still eating pumpkin, nothing will totally eliminate the problem.
I'll be evaluating a few areas in my life to determine a cause and hopefully find an answer I can live (and sleep) with!
I hope this was helpful, please let me know in the comments if you have any other ideas or natural ways of combating tinnitus.
Kelly Kessler
Hi Lauren
Thanks for all of your suggestions! What are your thoughts about eating eggs with tinnitus? Thanks , Kelly
Lauren
Hi Kelly,
I personally love eggs and tolerate them well, but I suspect that if you're allergic to them, they might cause numerous symptoms, including tinnitus. For instance, I get mouth sores with certain foods and itching with others. You never know what your body will react to, and it could be that you're reacting to a certain brand or a particular store's produce. If you're trying eggs and feel like they're bothering you, maybe keep trying a new brand or make sure they're organic and pasture-raised. I know certain eggs are from chickens fed soy, so I stay away from those. Hopefully that helps!
Kelly
Hi Lauren
Can I private message you to ask you a question?:)
Lauren
Sure Kelly, you can email me at lauren@oatmealwithafork.com. 🙂
Jill Pagano
18 months with somatic tinnitus, started with neck/tmj issues. I have found a connection between the neuro excitatory system--on the rare occasion that I had an artificial sweetener my tinnitus would really spike. I am now going to start eliminating/decreasing glutamate foods (similar to the diet of someone with epilepsy). The bummer about tinnitus is once the brain locks on to hearing it, the brain gets stuck in a loop and "creates" the noise. So even if I decrease what "caused" my tinnitus, my brain has a "recording" of it now. I have found sound therapy to be very helpful to train my brain to not care about the sound (habituate) and therefore allows me to feel like my sound has decreased. The docs at Treble Health really helped me. Not a sales pitch, but something to investigate if you are looking for help.
Linda Hobbis
Hi Lauren. Long term tinnitus sufferer here. My drone has ramped up considerably and I found you by googling the link between tinnitus and collagen. I have been taking a powder collagen supplement for 6 weeks and was interested in your comments about avoiding protein powders and collagen.
Lauren
Hi Linda,
I have glutamate and oxalate issues, and collagen and protein powders can exacerbate both of those, so I generally avoid them. Both of these can also make tinnitus worse, so it might be worth researching if you feel those 'foods' give you trouble.
Ruth
Thank you for sharing your tips and story. I've been looking for ways to deal with my buzzing ear for a while now. I will look into those supplements you mentioned.. My doc has me currently taking a betahistine dihydrochloride, as I ended up getting a terrible vertigo attack. But I am more interested in trying supplents and foods to help. I've cut out adding salt, and rarely drink caffeine anymore. Time will tell! I hope your ringing has improved and you are doing good.
Brian
Hi Lauren, wanted to get an update to see if anything truly helped with your tinnitus? I’m going batty with this ringing in my head.
Lauren
Hi Brian,
I still have it, but have linked it being worse to an iodine supplement I was taking. If you're a creature of habit, like me, you might play with your normal foods and supplements to see if it is some reaction to what you're taking. Good luck to you, it really does stink!
Chris
You're one of only a few to mention Candida and I think you could be on to something.. while I have been exposed to many loud noises and I don't have the best posture(neck/tmj?), my tinnitus started right after the holidays where my sugar and alcohol intake was particularly high.. my dad has had known problems with Candida over the years so I have thought about that connection. I read somewhere that tinnitus is a sign of stage 2 candida overgrowth in which case might need something stronger than Oregano oil and garlic to combat it.. regardless of the mystery we all face just want to say good luck to everyone reading this and keep up hope, some people have successfully defeated their tinnitus.
Lisa
I have some noise that wont stop in my ears or head and I dont know what to do? Thank you. Lisa.
Dawn
Thanks Lauren! I'm going to forward this to my mom, she has it. Hope you are well!!!!
Lauren
Thanks Dawn, I hope it helps her!