Home remedies for tinnitus can come in a number of forms, from herbal supplements and teas to changes in eating habits. Since tinnitus can result from a number of different environmental and biological factors, finding the right treatment for you may be a matter of trial and error.
Simple Home Remedies to Relieve Tinnitus
Luckily, finding relief may be as simple as changing your diet or removing a few layers of earwax, but you should always see a doctor before trying to treat recurring tinnitus yourself.
Lifestyle Changes That May Help Reduce the Ringing
Once you have a better understanding of what may be causing your tinnitus, you will be in a better position to decide how you want to manage your care. Often some simple lifestyle changes will be enough to silence the ringing in your ears. A proactive approach to your health will help you combat or even avoid many illnesses, and some of the recommendations that follow are good common sense suggestions for your overall well being as well as methods for treating tinnitus:
- Limit alcohol, caffeine and chocolate consumption. All three of these substances can excite the hair cells of the inner ear.
- Remove earwax buildup regularly.
- Quit smoking. Tobacco has the same effect of increasing the electrical activity in the inner ear.
- Check your medications and avoid or cut back on drugs like aspirin and sedatives that can worsen tinnitus symptoms.
- Exercise regularly to increase your circulation.
- Wear ear protection if you work or live around high noise areas like construction sites or airports.
Other Approaches to Reduce Tinnitus
There are a number of other remedies for tinnitus that will help combat the symptoms and sometimes reduce or eliminate the ringing . . .at least temporarily:
- Elevate your head when you go to sleep at night.
- Reduce stress with acupressure, meditation, yoga, or by some other method that works for you.
- Use another sound, like a white noise machine or fan, to mask the noise.
- Try adding herbal treatments to your diet, either in cooking, teas, or as supplements. These contain chemical compounds, vitamins, and minerals, like zinc, that anecdotal evidence suggests are effective for some people:
- Fenugreek
- Sesame seed
- Sunflower seed
- Spinach
- Ginko Biloba
- Goldenseal (Avoid this herb if you are pregnant.)
Combination Approach to Relieving Tinnitus
One of the reasons tinnitus is so debilitating for some people is because it can be unrelenting. The incessant noise creates stress, which contributes to the problem. Many traditional stress reducers, like alcohol and tobacco, can make an already bad situation worse. The good news is that a combination of lifestyle changes can often have good results, and approaches like creating other sounds to distract you from the constant din and using some meditation techniques can really help dial down your stress level until other measures have a chance to take effect.
