What is Tinnitus? Symptoms, Causes and Natural Tinnitus Remedies

February 12th, 2012 by johnadmin

Tinnitus is a condition whereby you hear swooshing, ringing or buzzing noises that are not actually there and which nobody other than yourself can hear. The sounds can come and go and vary in level. Sounds are picked up by your ears and carried along the ear canal to the auditory nerve and on to the brain where they are interpreted. Sounds familiar? (excuse the pun).

Luckily, there are things that you can do to help alleviate the condition. Let’s consider some of the factors that can lead to tinnitus and look at ways of dealing with them.

Catarrhal congestion in the ear, nose and throat tract can adversely affect hearing. If you are prone to catarrh, try to reduce the amount of dairy products in your diet to help clear the congestion. A dairy-free diet combined with the herb plantago can help tackle the problem of congestion.
If you suspect you have an ear infection, check it out with your doctor. Don’t ignore it, thinking it will clear by itself. Your hearing is precious.
Our hearing makes it possible for us to receive verbal messages from other people but it also helps us with our balance. If you have ever had an ear infection you will be aware that it can cause vertigo. Tinnitus may be part of this condition when combined with loss of balance. Drinking lots of water and dandelion tea, cutting out salt and caffeine will help with any fluid imbalance.
Ear wax that has built up in the ear can make tinnitus worse. Whatever you do, don’t attempt to clear your ears using a cotton bud or other instrument. This will only impact the wax against the eardrum and make things worse. This should only be done by a nurse or doctor.
There are many medications that can cause tinnitus. If you suspect this is the case, consult your doctor.
Both high and low blood pressure can play a part in tinnitus but both can be controlled by making changes to our diet and lifestyle and with the use of herbal remedies.
It is possible to overstimulate our ears. Loud music, whether at rock concerts or listened to via i-phone and other devices, involving a great deal of noise e.g. using a road drill can, over time, cause damage to the sensitive nerve endings in the auditory canal and affect our hearing. It makes sense then to make sure that earplugs are used whenever possible and to be aware of the dangers of exposure to loud noise over a period of time.
Set aside time every day to give your ears a rest. Turn off the radio, television or music and enjoy the sound of silence. Be aware of the sounds around you. You may find this hard at first as we are conditioned to living in a world that is continually full of invasive sounds.
Hearing problems may be due to contriction in the neck or head area. If you have had any dental treatment or suffered from an injury such as whiplash this could cause tension in the head and neck area and contribute to tinnitus. If this is so, consult a cranial osteopath or craniosacral therapist for advice.
Tinnitus can be linked to loss of hearing as we grow older. Use a zinc supplement if your hearing is not as good as it was.
Using an extract of Ginkgo biloba leaves can help to relieve the symptoms of tinnitus.

Nowadays, we are not so entirely dependent on our senses as our ancestors used to be. When out hunting for food, they relied on every sense for survival, not least on their sense of hearing. In fact, their ears used to move like animals’ ears and, believe it or not, that’s why those of us with primitive genes can still waggle our ears today! While we may not wish to have ears that swivel, we should never take our hearing for granted. That’s why it’s important to make sure we do everything we can to protect our hearing from tinnitus and other hearing related problems.