Hello everyone and welcome. In this article, I would like to share with you my 5 ways on how to treat tinnitus naturally. Some of these ways may have been overlooked and is worthwhile to try.
I would encourage you to share your story of what natural way/s has helped you, so that we can all help each other. This is the main purpose of this site. So please don’t be shy, use the comments box below.
The low-down on Tinnitus
Tinnitus is the dreadful ringing, whistling, roaring noises that one experiences. It may come and go. The intensity varies from time to time, and can be exaggarated by things such as stress. (Yeah!!! Well stress can cause a colossal amount of problems to us humans!!! What a bugger!!!)
It is very “Real” to the sufferer and it can affect the person’s life significantly. Besides stress, tinnitus can be affected by numerous other things such as
- Exposure to loud noise,
- Injury to the head,
- Meniere’s Disease,
- Certain infections and medications,
- TMJ(Temporomandibular Joint).
How do you treat tinnitus?
I wish that the answer would be as clear as day.
When treating tinnitus, it’s sometimes a case of what works for you may not necessarily help me.
Having said that, it is my hope that these natural ways may offer to you some relief.
So let’s get this ball rolling with natural “remedy” Nr 1.
-
Dietary Modification
First off, let me start with the “energy formula,” the morning booster we all have come to know as coffee.
As you may well have heard by now, caffeine is not really good for tinnitus. In fact, there are tons of articles around the web, telling you that its consumption can make the ringing in your ears worse.
I do not disagree with these statements, but I personally have not felt my tinnitus go crazy after coffee consumption. In fact, I published an experiment, awhile back whereby I subjected myself to drinking at least one cup of coffee a day for an entire month.
Believe it or not, my tinnitus did not get any worse.
Now, for the record, I am not telling anyone to go ahead and drink coffee. Some of you, many find that it aggravates the Tinnitus. I urge you to stop in this case. We are all different.
(If you would like to check out that experiment, here is the link)
Next up, we talk about salty foods. Now, here I can tell you, I thread very lightly. Oh yeah, give me a medium size popcorn and my tinnitus flies through the roof. Whilst the recommend daily intake of salt should be around 1500mg, a lot of people are exceeding this by consuming around 3300mg, over double the RDA.
The sodium increases water build up in the body and this increases overall blood flow within the body including the ears thereby aggravating or bringing about the tinnitus.
So what are the other main culprits to avoid that contains high sodium content?
Besides popcorn, avoid the likes of chips, pretzels, cheese, canned vegetables and pizza(sorry guys!!).
Please do check out my article, “The Top 10 Salty Foods to avoid In Tinnitus.” to get the complete list and learn more.
2.Escape out to Mother Nature
Listening to the birds, the rivers flowing and the wind whistling is literally the sweetest melodies that I have ever heard. This ‘music’ does wonders for the tinnitus.
Yes, there are CD’s with nature sounds and they are great. But, I think you would agree with me, that nothing beats the original. And there is a bonus added to this.
You are getting yourself out into the open, you’re connecting with nature and that in itself is healing. Research has shown that being in nature helps to bring down stress levels quickly and promotes relaxation.
Think of it as your natural antidepressant, giving you peace for your mind, body and soul.
I try to go out for my mini-hike of 4kms at least once a week. It’s become a part of my lifestyle, and I look forward to it every time.
Give it a go, but please do me one favour. It may be hard at first but just for that one or two hours, put your phone off.Let it just be you and the sounds of nature.
Read more about my journey here, “Nature’s Touch, and how it helps the ringing in my ears.”
3. Mindfulness Meditation
Our brain is really powerful, and can do some amazing stuff. Ever saw the movie “The Matrix,” of course you have.
Remember the scene where Neo, is waiting for the oracle and talks to one of the ‘gifted’ kids. He shows Neo his capability of bending a spoon using the power of his mind.(Watch the short clip below, from this movie)
Now, I have not come to that point as yet, but I have learnt a trick or two when it comes to using your mind when dealing with tinnitus.
During one of my Tinnitus Retraining Therapy sessions, my audiologist taught me something about tinnitus. Yes, it is the brain’s perception of noise. This comes about as a result of compensating for the loss due to an insult like loud noise(or one of the causes I mentioned above)
So, rather than resisting the noise and ignoring it, make peace with it and acknowledge the ringing. I thought to myself, “is this lady nuts?’
Her reasoning was as follows, the brain deals with foreign and familiar noises differently.
If the noise is all too familiar, then the brain does not bother or make it any issue. If the noise is foreign, as in the case of tinnitus noises, then it will bring it to the forefront.
This is why it is so pronounced in our case. So,by telling our minds that the noise is familiar, will give it less attention and we can bring down the ringing sounds.
Makes sense?
But how do we accomplish this?
By practicing mindfulness meditation. This is a techniques that trains the person to deliberately listen to the tinnitus noises.It may not be for everyone, and does require time, patience and practice.
It allows the person to confront his or her anxiety and fear associated with tinnitus.
I personally found this to be hard at first. Yes, it takes time , but it allows you to deal with that internal battle and make peace with it.
Read,”Does Tinnitus and Meditation go hand in hand?”
4. Dancing, Yoga and Tai Chi
Letting your hair down and allowing your body to groove to the beats,gets to you leave all your troubles aside and just have some fun!!
Dancing, I find is not strenuous and does not intensify my tinnitus. Unless, of course if you are in a club and the music is really loud.
I like to do the Zumba Dance routine workouts. Its gets me to enjoy the rhythms of latin music and I get a good workout as well.(do check it out)
The best part about dancing is that it is suited for everyone, young or old and there are no rules, just groove along, plain and simple.
So how does dancing help with Tinnitus?
I find that by dancing I am taken into another world. I forget about the problems or any inhibitions for that moment and just let go. It is at that point, that the ringing or whistling takes a back seat and does not take precedence over me.
I feel free and wish that the rhythms and melodies would last forever. Boy!! That would be fantastic!!
What about Yoga and Tai Chi?
When I am not doing dancing, I try to squeeze in time to do a Yoga or Tai-Chi session.
Yoga, involves stretching and balancing and its full benefits are achieved by “focused breathing” and “clearing of the mind.”
I find that this practice helps to calm the body, mind and soul and offers a sense of inner peace. Whilst performing theses postures, I am more focused on what I am doing and just being in this present moment gives me relief from my tinnitus.
Focusing on the ‘here’ and ‘now’ allows one to not be distracted by problems or things that may bring about anxiety. This is why I feel Yoga is great for Tinnitus.
For more reading, check out, “Yoga and Tinnitus, a good Match-up or not ?”
Tai-Chi, is a gentle form of martial arts. It is different from Yoga, in that more emphasis is placed on the slow rhythmical movements of the body and less focus on the arms and legs supporting the weight of the body.
You may have seen people doing Tai-Chi in parks, moving their arms and legs in slow but graceful moves.
You still are concentrating on your breathing and practicing being in the moment.
I find this relaxation, therapy for tinnitus and it offers to me that ‘ calmness in the storm.’
5. Support , Help and Back-up
There are stories of tinnitus really getting the better of people. Some situations are sad to hear that as a last resort, one has taken their own life.
The problem, and I say this with the utmost respect, is that not everyone can relate to someone who has tinnitus.
I mean, physically, we look fine, but people cannot really understand the internal storm that one goes through with the tinnitus, unless they have experienced it themselves.
Having said this, I can tell you that having someone who understands or listens to you, is incredibly helpful.
For me, it does the following, it
- Makes me feel that I am not alone
- Gives me strength to go on,
- It gives me confidence,
- Allows me to vent out, when I am having a bad day,
- Offers me alternate solutions or gives me their perspective, which can be insightful.
- Allows us to help each other
- Share new information
- Makes some good connections.
So where can I find this help and support?
Right here, this is the purpose of this site. To get everyone chatting and discussing their situations and offering advice and solutions to try out.
You also have the option of joining Tinnitus Support Groups. These, like the Tinnitus Sufferers Group are available on the Facebook platform.
The main point is to realize, that you as a tinnitus sufferer are not alone. There are so many of us suffering from it, and it truly does help to open up and get the discussion going.
So, please do make use of these services.
Before I leave you today, I would like you to read the following article,
⇒”Is there a cure for tinnitus, if not is it the end of the world.”⇐
Conclusion
So, there you have my 5 ways on how I go about dealing with tinnitus naturally.
I hope that you have found this article helpful.Please drop a comment in the box below, if you would like to share something or have something on your mind.
Thanks for stopping by .You have been fantastic.
Take Care
Regards
Roopesh
I found your website by accident when I Googledo reviews for the Tinnitus Terminator and I am so pleased I did! I have had Meniere’s Syndrome for so many years, I don’t know when it actually started. I was able to relax myself by doing deep breathing and the hissing would stop but now it’s constant and doesnt go away anymore. The only time I don’t hear the hissing is if I’m outdoors or somewhere where the sounds are louder than the hissing sounds.
Thank you and God bless you for what you are doing to help otherstudents with this annoying noise.
Please forgive my typos. I have a new tablet and it will change words that I have typed on its own and I I’ll catch them just as I’ve hit the send button.
Hi Marie
Don’t stress on the typing errors. Its all fine, congrats on your tablet. Hope you have lots of fun with it.
Regards
Roopesh
Hello Marie
Its my pleasure and I am glad that it had helped you.
Yes, I know exactly what you are going through. My T is the same, I am completely deaf in the right ear and the T is affecting my left ear, so you can imagine how challenging it is for me. I have no choice but to wear a hearing aid, its still tough though and I am slowly getting used to it.
If there is anything that I can help with, please let me know.
Take Care
Roopesh
I had spinal surgery and can’t exercise and I have anxiety and insomnia and I am in pain and I have a spouse that has Parkinson’s disease and dementia so that leaves with no time for myself and I can’t exercise or dance and I also have tinnitus.well what can I do?
Hey Marilyn
So sorry for the late reply. I had so much going on and in my life. Really apologise for the late reply. That is a tough one for me to answer. Are you looking for something for the pain, or get back into the exercising and dancing?
Thank you. You just saved me a lot of money. Will try the natural way.
Hi Sylvia
You are very welcome.
Dear Roopesh, I have had tinnitus since I was little and thought it was the “sound of silence” as in the Simon and Garfunkel song, which was popular at the time! Recently, it has got worse (as I feel I have got a little deaf), I am waiting to see an audiologist, but having a hard time, especially at nights, when I plug myself into the radio! What do others do at night? Thank you for this website, it really is nice to know there are other people out there with similar stories!
Hello Susie
It is a pleasure to develop this site and help wherever I can.
Firstly I need to tell you that you are an absolutely brave person to deal with you tinnitus for such a long period of time. I will pray and hope that all goes well at the audiologist. That is a great question as what how other folks deal with their tinnitus at night time. Perhaps, I should write a blog and ask them?
Yes, there is lots of people out there with tinnitus and we should all share stories and help one another. I believe that is the way things should work.
Let me know how things go.
Regards
Roopesh
Susie, the radio is great idea. I love to plug into my phone and have found a meditation station on pandora. That music helps me relax and sometimes I can sleep through the night. I try camomile tea and melatonin before I go to the anxiety medication my doctor prescribed. I prefer natural to medications. The medatative music really helps. Also, I have found a wonderful chiropractor and massage therapist. I go once a month. She is amazing and after seeing her I get some relief. Aromatherapy helps as well. This site has helped me more than anything. Knowing I am not alone.
Blessings to you,
Melissa
I am so grateful I found your site. My tinnitus is stress induced. Some days it is tolerable and others, like today, I am incapable of functioning on my normal level. The noise is so loud I become very irritated and can’t function. I know it is tough on my family, which makes it worse. I have found salt is horrible for me and caffeine doesn’t seem to bother me. Kickboxing has helped me manage my aggravation. My tinnitus is extremely loud and white noise does not mask it. The sound of the hand dryers in bathrooms make me want to scream. Even someone drying their hands with a napkin makes me cringe when the sound is loud. I supplement with vitamins and try to eat healthy. Meditation sometimes helps. I have gotten to the point where eating and sleeping are difficult. Melatonin helps, but the noise will wake me up throughout the night. This blog has literally saved my life. You have given me hope. I know there are others out there that live with this and deal with the severity level that I do. I know I am not alone and now continue to fight. Thank you for sharing your experience, strength and hope. You have been a part of saving my life.
Hello Melissa
It is my pleasure. Thanks so much for your kind words. I will continue sharing as time goes on.
You are certainly not alone and we are in this together. I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for sharing your story regarding your battle with tinnitus with all of us.
Please don’t ever give up. I know that its easier said than done, but if you ever need to chat, just drop by here….
Take Care of yourself and don’t be a stranger
Regards
Roopesh
Dear Roopesh, My Tinnitus started at age 16 due to an accidental overdose of aspirin. I am now 62. I have managed to cope with it, but in the last 5 years have noticed that I cannot hear as well, and cannot deal with what I call “city noise,” I.e. traffic, people yelling, horns honking, air brakes on semis, etc. The combination of noise and tinnitus causes me stress. Also, I find I must listen to music at bedtime to fall asleep…. Becoming aware of this helps me deal with the stress– deep breathing, conscious relaxation, and ‘mindfulness’ is helpful. I just discovered your site today after researching Tinnitus Terminator (bogus!). But how great something bogus brought me to something good! I appreciate your positive comments, and supportive attitude.
Hello Betsy
You are most welcome. Glad that you have found this site useful. Thank you so very much for sharing your story with us.
All the best to you.
Hello, I’m 65 years young and have had tinnitus for almost 2 years. I retired early because of my tinnitus. I’m so thankful I found your website, I almost bit the “T” Terminator scam. All your information has helped me plus comments from other folks. I’m a salt freak so I’m going to cut back and try to reduce stress.
Hi There
I am so happy to hear that this site had helped you out. I too found out the hard way, that too much of salt can cause havoc with my tinnitus.
All the best and take care
Roopesh
Thank you Roopesh for this amazingly helpful website of hope, information, and community for sufferers of tinnitus. I have learned so much in the brief time I have read through some of your posts. I too found your website when I came across the “Tinnitus Terminator” when I googled Tinnitus. You have to be careful on the internet as it is a “free for all” and lots of people are making money off of people in distress desperately seeking relief.
My tinnitus started after a scuba diving trip. I am a novice diver and I have trouble equalizing the pressure in my ears during descent. The ringing started two days after returning home from a 2 week dive and 4 airline flights to get home followed by a cold. Hard to pin point what exactly caused it, but I had middle ear barotrauma and eustachian tube dysfunction that is resolving, but the ringing is not. A hearing test revealed I have lost hearing in the higher frequencies (>10,000). I too found your website when I was googling “Tinnitus” and found “Tinnitus Terminator”. The internet preys on people in distress and I am thankful there are good people out there like you. The ENT is hopeful that the tinnitus will resolve as my ears heal. In the mean time, I am using the sound therapy app you recommended “Tinnitus Alleviator” I enjoy the music.
Thank you for sharing your wisdom and for your advice on becoming a better person and changing your outlook on life while suffering with tinnitus. Your writings have renewed me and have helped me not to feel so alone.
Thank you again!
Colette
Hello Colette
Thank you so very much for stopping by. I feel so blessed when I hear a story like yours whereby this site had helped someone out. That is the purpose of this site to help people out wherever I can with their tinnitus.
You are right, there are people out there that are ready to prey on people and the internet can become a haven for scammers.At the end of the day, we just have to be careful.
I am sorry to hear about your hearing loss. I know the feeling and it can really make one feel despondent.However, as you said, you are not alone in this. Whenever you need to chat, this website is always there for you.
Regards and Take Care of Yourself
Roopesh
Hi Roopesh, I have had tinnitus for about 4 months now. It all started after I picked up a cold and sore throat in January. One night, while turning over in my bed, I had a feeling of vertigo. This feeling persisted for a week or so and now I sometimes get it first thing in the morning when I get out of bed but I hardly notice it. The cold/flue lasted a few weeks and then the ringing began in both ears. I went to see a ENT and after supplying me with some anti-viral pills, suggested I see an audiologist, who did say I had impaired hearing, although I don’t feel I have a problem with my hearing. She said my tinnitus is purely due to my ‘loss of hearing’. In your opinion, could I have a mild form of MD – is it worth trying more medicine or is it my tinnitus down to the hearing loss? Hope you can advise. Regards, Greg
Hey Greg
Thanks a million for sharing your story here.
The cold and flu could have caused the imbalances in your ears which caused you to feel dizzy. I am a little surprised that the ENT only gave you anti-viral pills and nothing for vertigo. Something that includes betahistaine(e.g SeRC) to regulate the dizziness.
I would recommend something along these lines to try out.
Give it a shot for 3months and if you can afford it, go for a blood test to confirm that you have a viral infection.
Let me know how it goes.
Regards
Roopesh
Tinnitus terminator…is it a scam? Can you get your money back if it is a scam? I fell for it. I have always had T and over 3 months ago I had a concussion and whiplash with caused my T to go ballistic. It has kept me from working in the sun amongst hundreds of summer camp kids. With the onset of Tinnitus so violently, I have developed migraines and have become very reclusive. Mainly because the sun hurts, noises hurt, and the T is non stop. I feel ashamed for falling for this terminator scam. Thank you for this website. Brett
Hi Brett.
My apologies for replying so late. Please do not feel bad. When you have tinnitus, you would want to try everything you can to get rid of it or even lessen the symptoms. When you came across the Tinnitus Terminator, it offered you some hope and so you took it.
They preyed on you and you only wanted some help. There is no reason why you should feel ashamed.
I hope that some of the blogs that I have written here would help you.
Do take care, I know that it’s tough, but hang in there
Regards
Roopesh