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Page: Treatment
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There are many treatments that are effective for tinnitus resulting from a particular cause, but none are effective in every case. Conversely, tinnitus may resolve without any treatment. Effective treatments include:
Objective tinnitus:
* Gamma knife radiosurgery (glomus jugulare)
* Shielding of cochlea by teflon implant
* Botulinum toxin (palatal tremor)
* Propranolol and clonazepam (arterial anatomic variation)
Subjective tinnitus:
* Drugs and nutrients
o Lidocaine, injection into the inner ear found to surpress the tinnitus fo"r 20 minutes, according to a Swedish study.
o Benzodiazepines (xanax, ativan, klonopin)
o Avoidance of caffeine, nicotine, salt
o Avoidance of or consumption of alcohol
o Zinc supplementation (where serum zinc deficiency is present)
o Acamprosate
o Etidronate or sodium fluoride (otosclerosis)
o Lignocaine or anticonvulsants (usually in patients responsive to white noise masking)
o Carbemazepine
o Melatonin (especially for those with sleep disturbance)
o Sertraline
o Vitamin combinations (lipo-flavonoid)
* Electrical stimulation
o Transcranial magnetic stimulation or transcranial direct current stimulation
o Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation
o Direct stimulation of auditory cortex by implanted electrodes
* Surgery
o Repair of perilymph fistula
* External sound
o Low-pitched sound treatment has shown some positive, encouraging results.(UC, Irvine press release)
o Tinnitus masking (white noise)
o Tinnitus retraining therapy
o Auditive stimulation therapy (music therapy)
o Compensation for lost frequencies by use of a hearing aid.
o Ultrasonic bone-conduction external acoustic stimulation
o Avoidance of outside noise (exogenous tinnitus)
* Psychological
o Cognitive behavior therapy
Although there are no specific cures for tinnitus, anything that brings the person out of the "fight or flight" stress response helps symptoms recede over a period of time. Calming body-based therapies, counseling and psychotherapy help restore well-being, which in turn allows tinnitus to settle. Chronic tinnitus can be quite stressful psychologically, as it distracts the affected individual from mental tasks and interferes with sleep, particularly when there is no external sound. Additional steps in reducing the impact of tinnitus on adverse health consequences include: a review of medications that may have tinnitus as a side effect; a physical exam to reveal possible underlying health conditions that may aggravate tinnitus; receiving adequate rest each day; and seeking a physician's advice concerning a sleep aid to allow for a better sleep pattern.
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Important notice:
The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other
qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
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