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Tinnitus Help Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is tinnitus?
A: Tinnitus is the medical term for the perception of sound in one or both ears, or in the head, when no external sound is present. Although commonly referred to as "ringing ears", some people hear other types of sounds such as hissing, roaring, whistling, chirping or clicking instead of, or in addition to, ringing. It can be constant or just occasional. And the volume can range from barely audible to roaring.
Q: I have tinnitus and I feel so alone. Do many people have tinnitus?
A: It is estimated that over 50 million Americans have some degree of tinnitus. In most people it is just an annoyance, but almost two million patients have tinnitus so bad they can’t functional normally.
Q: I’ve heard there is no tinnitus cure. Can that be true?
A: Although it is widely accepted amongst the medical establishment that there is no actual tinnitus cure, thousands of tinnitus sufferers have either gotten some or total tinnitus relief from a variety of tinnitus remedies.
Q: What are the best tinnitus remedies?
A: That is like asking the seven blind men what an elephant is like. Unfortunately, there is no easy answer to that question. If you ask your doctor, he might tell you there is nothing you can do except learn to live with it. If you go to a homeopath, he’ll tell you which tinnitus homeopathic remedies he thinks are best. An acupuncturist will tell you acupuncture plus some tinnitus herbal treatments will be the tinnitus cure. And, of course, if you ask anyone who has gotten tinnitus relief from, let’s say, standing on their head, they will say that is the tinnitus cure! So ultimately, the best tinnitus remedy are the ones that work for you.
Q: Are there any lifestyle changes I should make to help stop tinnitus?
A: There are some lifestyle choices that are bad for your health in general and are also known to contribute to tinnitus. These include smoking, high salt intake, sugar, artificial sweeteners, MSG, caffeine, and certain drugs, whether they are over-the-counter or prescription. The families of drugs that can cause tinnitus are the “anti” families – antibiotics, anti-inflammatory, antihistamine, anticonvulsants, and antidepressants. If you noticed a correlation between your tinnitus and taking any medication, you might want to talk to your doctor about trying something different.
Q: Are there any natural tinnitus treatments?
A: Yes! There are too many to go into here, but some of the most popular ones include acupuncture, aromatherapy, herbal remedies, vitamin supplements, and tinnitus homeopathic remedies.
Q: I’ve heard that type A personalities are more likely to get tinnitus. Is that true?
A: Yes, it seems that type A personalities are more prone to having tinnitus, so get your stress level under control. Consider meditation, yoga, biofeedback or other forms of relaxation. If being still and quiet is too foreign to you, be sure you burn off energy by getting plenty of exercise.
