8 Natural Remedies for Tinnitus

That sound in your ears could be tinnitus (tin-uh-tis), a constant ringing which can also present as buzzing, clicking, roaring or hissing. These inner ear sounds can affect one or both ears in a soft, loud, high or low pitched volume. It is estimated that ten percent of the American population has experienced at least five minutes of tinnitus symptoms.

The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders describes possible causes of tinnitus such as:

• Noise-induced hearing loss
• Ear and sinus infections
• Diseases of the heart or blood vessels
• Ménière’s disease
• Brain tumors
• Hormonal changes in women
• Thyroid abnormalities

It is believed that the famous painter, Vincent Van Gogh, had such an extreme bout with tinnitus as a symptom of Ménière’s disease it drove him mad enough to cut off his ear for relief. Conventional medicine offers various remedies for tinnitus including hearing aids, cochlear implants, antidepressants and anti-anxiety medication, to name a few.

These 8 natural remedies for tinnitus may help reduce symptoms without invasive procedures or drugs. Always check with your doctor if you have tinnitus symptoms as it could be an indication of vascular or neurological disorders. Also check for contraindications that may apply to you before taking any natural remedies.

Ginkgo Biloba 

Long used to increase systemic circulation, the compounds found in the ginkgo biloba tree may help ease tinnitus. Claiming the importance of high quality extracts, one particular ginkgo formula labeled EGb 761® significantly outperformed other extracts.

A study by German researchers, published in Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment (2011) stated that,

“All eight randomized, placebo-controlled trials of the standardized Ginkgo biloba extract EGb 761® showed statistically significant superiority of the active treatment over placebo.”

Ginkgo biloba can be taken as a tea, tincture or capsule 3 times per day at about 120-150mg. per capsule.

Black Cohosh

Native to North America and sometimes called snakeroot or rattle-weed, black cohosh has a good observational study track record when it comes to relieving tinnitus. Reported by Tinnitus 123,

“Robert L. Folmer as well as Yong-Bing Shi of the Oregon Health and Science department reported the overwhelming results of this herb at a tinnitus clinic, providing numerous sufferers with relief.”

Use as a tea, capsule or tincture two to three times daily.

Pumpkin, Sunflower and Sesame Seeds

Zinc is abundant in pumpkin, sunflower and sesame seeds which may be why these are recommended for tinnitus relief. A few handfuls per day may give you enough natural zinc which has been found to  alleviate tinnitus symptoms in a large number of cases.

Researchers from the Department of Ear, Nose, Throat, Head and Neck Surgery, Ankara Numune Research and Education Hospital, Turkey, published their study in Otology & Neurotology on the effects zinc has on tinnitus. The studied concluded that, “patients with tinnitus may have low blood zinc levels (31%) and clinical and subjective improvement can be achieved by oral zinc”.

CoEnzyme Q10

CoEnzyme Q10 is a powerful antioxidant that many studies have found also helps increase blood flow generating energy in cell mitochondria.

A pilot clinical trial by researchers at the Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Charité-University Medicine Berlin, Germany published in Otolaryngol Head and Neck Surgery concluded that,

“In patients with a low plasma CoQ10 concentration, CoQ10 supply may decrease the tinnitus expression.”

B12 and Vitamin A

Some studies report that a high number of those suffering from tinnitus were deficient in B12. In preliminary research there were several patients who improved their tinnitus symptoms by supplementing with B12, however no solid evidence has been documented. Adding vitamin A to the mix may be also helpful but only on a random basis as this too is theorized to offer relief.

 

With these 8 natural remedies for tinnitus, you have an opportunity to try an alternative approach. Give each one ample time to kick in (about 2-3 weeks) and if you don’t see any improvement, move to the next. Incidentally, combining remedies may be beneficial as well. In addition, it is recommended that if you are suffering with tinnitus to avoid caffeine, salt, and loud noise.