Tinnitus
This is the drive-you-mad ringing in the ears that many people get. It can be temporary or chronic. It can be caused by injury from noise, diving or a head trauma, for example, or can just start out of nowhere. Whichever, it is not nice.
Some drugs are linked to tinnitus so do bear that in mind. The main ones are: benzodiazepines like Valium and NSAIDs like ibuprofen and aspirin.
Tinnitus is also linked to other conditions like blood pressure issues and problems in the jaw or neck so seeing an osteopath, especially a cranial one might help with the latter. The most common link I have found clinically is with allergy and intolerance. Many times when people have followed an elimination diet, they can identify a culprit and, by cutting the suspect out, the tinnitus usually at least reduces and very often goes.
So, try and deal with the cause first and foremost. There are several natural remedies that could help too, especially since some cases are a straight lowered blood flow to the ears problem (ginkgo) or deficiency of some kind:
- Zinc. Supplementing with zinc (20 to 30 mg per day) can relieve or eliminate tinnitus in those with zinc deficiency— very common in tinnitus.
- Magnesium supplementation (150 to 250 mg three times daily) may help
- Ginkgo biloba extract. Study results are not that clear but they do suggest that if people have just started to have it Ginkgo is more likely to help compared to chronic sufferers (over 3 years in this case). The most common dosage is 240 to 320 mg per day.
- Vitamin B12. Almost 50% of people with tinnitus are deficient in B12. Many people with low B12 levels are completely cured of their tinnitus when given the methylcobalamin form of B12. Best dosage is thought to be: 3,000 to 5,000 mcg daily for one month and then 1,000 mcg daily as a maintenance dose. If this turns out to be the case with you, do please check out gluten related disorders (not necessarily coeliac disease).
- Melatonin studies suggest 3mg at bedtime significantly helps tinnitus and sleep.