Tinnitus Treatment - The Options Available and the Best Cure

What can be as difficult and equally complicated as getting into a war against wind mill? Well, finding a permanent tinnitus treatment can be equally tricky and problematic. Similar to the nature of shingles, most medications provide an interim respite from tinnitus, but fail to come up with a permanent solution. However, if a holistic approach is adopted for treating tinnitus, patients can indeed hope to make a complete recovery. Symptoms of tinnitus include painful sensations in the ear, along with a discharge from the area (in addition to the customary ringing noises). If these symptoms actually manifest themselves, it is highly advisable to arrange a session with an ENT specialist, so that suitable corrective measures may be adopted. The factors listed above are not, however, diseases in themselves.

If medical experts indeed diagnose tinnitus as the chief culprit that is resulting in these symptoms that cause great distress to the patients, they suggest various methods of treatment accordingly. Given below are some of the common modes of tackling tinnitus related problems.

The Options Available For Tinnitus Treatment

o The powerful yet short-lived relief provided by medicines sold over the counter (OTC). Harmful side effects are a disturbing feature of these drugs,
o Generating 'white noises' and other alternative resonances, in order to distract the patients' minds. Specially made masking tools and instruments are used for this purpose,
o The respite obtained by practicing ways to relax the body. The relief however is nothing more than illusory,
o Medicines with herbal ingredients, which are generally found to be of very little practical benefit,
o The relief obtained from homeopathic medicines. However, patients cannot hope for a complete cure with this
o The rather inconsequential tinnitus remedies that can supposedly be prepared at home.

Keeping in view the overall welfare and health of the person, it can safely be concluded that they should ideally stay away from these medications. These drugs are associated with many health hazards, including headaches, constipation and irregularities in the discharge of bowels, among others. Indeed, these side effects can take a far more serious turn than the usual ringing noises generated by tinnitus. However, at times, these noises cross all levels of endurance and the person is forced to opt for these OTC drugs.

A List Of The Most Popular OTC Drugs Used For Tinnitus Treatment:

o Botulinum toxin chemicals,
o Drugs like Melatonin,
o Different varieties of Tricyclics,
o Setraline compounds,
o Propranolol and/or Clonazepam,
o Lignocaine medications,
o Medications with Acamprostrate,
o Carbazepine and such other medicines, and
o Etidronate and/or Sodium fluoride.

Contrary to these rather harmful OTC medications, the tinnitus masking tools that try to give some relief to the affected people do not come with side effects. They work indirectly and make use of white noises and music bands. The types of sound effects used can range from the melodious patter of waterfalls, the swirl of water moving in a Jacuzzi, or the sounds generated from heights of about 40,000 feet, from the cockpits of a jet airplane. All these sounds are available in a pre-recorded CD, and can easily divert the attention of the distressed tinnitus patients. In fact, well known, famous musical tracks can act as equally effective 'white noise' as well, due to their interesting and beautiful tunes. However, these techniques of treating tinnitus only put a lid on the agony that can be caused by the disease, and do not cure the illness. All that can be achieved is a convenient way to avoid the full burden of the effects of the illness.

To combat tinnitus, it has to be ensured that the head and the neck of the affected person are receiving adequate blood. Herbal remedies are found to be particularly effective in this. Taking an example, the Ginkgo Biloba is noted for its ability to facilitate proper blood circulation in the human head and neck regions and thus it is often prescribed. Sesame seeds, which were first used by doctors of the Orient for treating tinnitus, have now gained favor among the medical experts in the US as well. Significant benefits are to be had, if tinnitus patients make it a habit to consume a combination of Black Cohosh and Ginkgo everyday in the morning on an empty stomach.

The Periwinkle herb is held in high regard as a useful medicinal plant. This herb yields a compound called Vincamine. The Vincamine compound has been a long-standing ingredient of the treatment procedures of health hazards like tinnitus and Ménière's syndrome, among German medical practitioners. This chemical needs to be consumed only in its prescribed dosage volumes (thrice everyday, and 25 milligrams per day). Adequate care should be taken to prevent accidental overdoses, since that can result in the blood pressure falling sharply, leading to serious medical consequences.

In order to keep a suitable check on the irritation and agony that tinnitus can give rise to, plant products, such as seeds of the sunflower plant, Mistletoe Tea and the Passion flower are often made use of. When applied on a regular basis, these treatment regimes can also help in smoother circulation of blood in the head and neck of a tinnitus patient.

Also, one must not turn a blind eye to the highly useful medical product made in China, which is also known as the San-huang-hsin-tang. This formulation reduces the effects of the tinnitus disease by using a mixture of Coptis and Rhubarb components.

Coming to the homeopathic treatments, the general opinion is far from unanimous as to whether they actually yield the desired advantages. The Materia Medicas contains an exhaustive list of the probable symptoms of tinnitus, apart from the most prominent one (i.e., a never-ending ringing sensation to the ear). The sheer volume of these symptoms makes the creation of an effective homeopathic medicine, with the ideal composition, an extremely tough task. Moreover, these methods of treating need to take care of the unique body compositions of the patients, and hence, can vary from person to person.

The fact remains that, most or all, of the traditional methods to treat tinnitus try to tackle only the symptoms of the illness. They do not try to drive away the root causes from the body. The root causes of tinnitus can also be several, with they, and there are many triggers as well. All this makes tinnitus a rather complicated illness, and its causes must not be ignored. The holistic methods of tinnitus treatment, on the other hand, consider the entire body as a single functioning system, and then identify the factors that cause tinnitus. Once these factors are eradicated, the symptoms of the disease disappear as well, providing a complete cure. Not surprisingly, these holistic measures have been found to be greatly successful in helping patients get out of tinnitus.