For the tinnitus sufferer, making the tinnitus go away or even just lessening it from severe to mild is important for them to be able to have productive days and restful nights. One of the most common complaints of the tinnitus sufferer is that they have difficulty falling asleep because of the sounds. Treating tinnitus is often a two pronged approach. While working to treat the symptom, which is tinnitus, the sufferer and their medical professional should be looking to assess what is causing the tinnitus.
Treating the Symptom of Tinnitus
Common treatments for subjective tinnitus work to alleviate symptoms. For many tinnitus sufferers who have trouble falling asleep, the most common method of treatment is to create white noise in the room. This white noise can be a fan or a specifically designed white noise generator that sits beside the bed. More recent white noise generators work with iPods and other MP3 players to provide music or constant white noise such as wind or wave sounds. More advanced auditory stimulation includes music therapy and notched music therapy where the tinnitus frequencies are taken out of the patient’s favorite music. This causes the brain to stop being stimulated on those frequencies making the tinnitus more tolerable.
Other common methods of treating tinnitus include reducing or eliminating stimulants and salt. Caffeine and nicotine reduction can help some tinnitus sufferers, however, in some it can make it worse so it is something to evaluate. Alcohol consumption, likewise, can cause tinnitus to get better or worse and can be used, in moderation, if it helps. Zinc supplements, as well as herbal formulas with zinc have been shown to help some sufferers of tinnitus as well because a zinc deficiency can actually be a cause of tinnitus symptoms. Certain medications can be used, including anticonvulsants, tricyclics and benzodiazepines, however, the side effects of these medications can be more detrimental than the tinnitus itself.
Treating Tinnitus Causes
For some, especially those with objective Tinnitus, there are treatments that actually work to fix the cause of the problem. One of the most common is impacted ear wax. A quick visit to a general practitioner or ENT can remove impacted earwax and provide immediate relief should this be the cause. There are other surgical procedures available to objective tinnitus sufferers depending on the cause. For some cases, a quick Botox injection can take care of the problem and for others a detailed surgery where the cochlea is shielded by a Teflon implant is needed.
