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Is there a cure for tinnitus?
There is no cure, per se, for tinnitus in that there is no one magic
pill that will make the millions of people with tinnitus no longer hear
the noises in their ears and head. However, in some cases, tinnitus can
be quieted. For example, some people have excessive earwax that blocks
outside sound from coming in. When ear wax or any foreign object, such
as a hair, touches the eardrum, tinnitus can be a result. By having a
physician or audiologist remove the wax, the source of the tinnitus is
also removed. Some people with severe hearing loss have found that a
cochlear implant helps them hear the world around them, which in part
makes the tinnitus in their heads much less noticeable. Neither of these
examples is a hard and fast cure, but the examples do represent that
relief is available and possible.
What kinds of treatments are available?
There are many treatments for tinnitus. You will want to talk with your
doctor, audiologist, or other healthcare professional to find the best
treatment for you. Because tinnitus is so individual, treatments work
differently for different people.
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Alternative Treatments
Some people have taken minerals such as magnesium or zinc, herbal
preparations such as Ginkgo biloba, homeopathic remedies, or B
vitamins for their tinnitus and found them to be helpful. Others
have experienced tinnitus relief with acupuncture, cranio-sacral
therapy, magnets, hyperbaric oxygen, or hypnosis. A few of these
therapies have been researched in an attempt to verify the anecdotal
claims. But the results have not conclusively identified these
treatments as helpful for tinnitus. Your doctor might give you
clearance to try them for tinnitus anyway given that they generally
carry little risk to health and some people find them helpful.
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Amplification (Hearing Aids)
Some tinnitus patients with hearing loss experience total or partial
tinnitus relief while wearing hearing aids. There are many variables
that determine success. However, if a patient has a hearing loss in
the frequency range of the tinnitus, hearing aids may bring back in
the ambient sounds that naturally cover the tinnitus.
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Biofeedback
Biofeedback is a relaxation technique that teaches people to control
certain autonomic body functions, such as pulse, muscle tension, and
skin temperature. The goal of biofeedback is to help people manage
stress in their lives not by reducing the stress but by changing the
body’s reaction to it. Many people notice a reduction in their
tinnitus when they are able to modify their reaction to the stress
in their lives.
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Cochlear Implants/Electrical
Stimulation
A cochlear implant has two components: 1) an electrode array that is
threaded into the cochlea, and 2) a receiver that is implanted just
beneath the skin behind the ear. The electrode array sends
electrical sound signals from the ear to the brain. Because
electrode implantation destroys whatever healthy hair cells were
left inside the cochlea, these implants are prescribed to deaf or
near-deaf patients only. In one study, half of those who had
tinnitus before their cochlear implants experienced tinnitus relief
after their cochlear implants.
Why do cochlear implants help tinnitus? There are two possible
reasons: 1) The tinnitus might be masked by the ambient sounds that
these devices bring back in. 2) The tinnitus might be suppressed by
the electrical stimulation sent through the auditory nerve by the
implant. Some forms of electrical stimulation to the ear can stop
tinnitus briefly.
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Cognitive Therapy
Cognitive therapy is a type of counseling that is based on treating
a patient's emotional reaction to tinnitus rather than the tinnitus
itself. To accomplish this desired change in perception, a counselor
will help the patient identify negative behaviors and thought
patterns, then alter them. Counseling programs are individually
designed for patients and are most effective when coupled with other
tinnitus treatments, such as masking or medication.
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Drug Therapy
Many drugs have been researched and used to relieve tinnitus, but
there is not a drug that has been designed specifically to treat
tinnitus. Some drugs that have been studied include anti-anxiety
drugs like Xanax, antidepressants like nortriptyline,
antihistamines, anticonvulsants like gabapentin, and even
anesthetics like lidocaine. All successfully quieted tinnitus for
some people.
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Sound Therapy
Various treatment strategies use sound to decrease the loudness or
prominence of tinnitus. Sound therapies include both wearable
(hearing aid-like devices) and non-wearable devices (such as
table-top sound machines or even a whirring fan). Often, sound is
used to completely or partially cover the tinnitus. Some people
refer to this covering of sound as masking. Sound therapies should
always be combined with counseling.
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TMJ Treatment
Tinnitus can be a symptom of a jaw joint (temporomandibular joint,
or TMJ) dysfunction. This can happen because muscles and nerves in
the jaw are closely connected to those in the ear and, under the
right circumstances, can interfere with the ear's nerves. Dental
treatment or bite realignment can help relieve TMJ pain and
associated tinnitus. See your dentist if you think you have this
problem.
What's the difference between masking and TRT?
Masking and TRT (tinnitus retraining therapy) are similar in many ways.
Both treatments introduce sounds to patients. In-the-ear maskers emit
sounds that either partially or completely cover the sounds of tinnitus.
TRT sound generators, also worn in the ear, emit a much quieter sound
that allows the tinnitus to still be heard. Maskers are meant to provide
immediate relief from the perception of tinnitus. TRT and its use of
sound generators are accompanied by a specific kind of counseling called
"directive counseling"; the combination is intended to retrain the brain
to no longer notice the tinnitus signal. Unlike the immediate
effectiveness of masking, TRT can sometimes take as long as two years to
be achieved.
What is residual inhibition?
Residual inhibition is the temporary suppression of tinnitus after
someone who uses a masker turns the masker off. Sometimes, someone may
have a masker in, wear it for a little while, and then turn it off to
find out that his tinnitus is either reduced or totally absent. The time
period of this cessation of tinnitus after masking can vary from a few
minutes to a few days. People who experience residual inhibition must
have tinnitus that can be masked -- i.e., a masker must be a viable
treatment for your tinnitus.
What kinds of drugs are available to treat tinnitus?
There is no drug on the market designed specifically for tinnitus
treatment. There are, however, several medications that have provided
many tinnitus patients with relief. But they are not without their own
caveats. For example, some medications that can help tinnitus are also
habit forming and should only be used when under the care of a physician
who understands tinnitus.
What kind of alternative treatments could I try?
Again, ATA does not recommend any specific treatment for tinnitus
management. This is for you and your health care provider to determine.
Many of these treatments are considered controversial because there is
too little research on them showing overwhelmingly positive results.
Still, some people with tinnitus report that these alternative therapies
work.
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