What could help with tinnitus VI. - NAC (N-acetylcysteine)

NAC is a precursor of glutathione, an important antioxidant, which, if available throughout the body in sufficient quantities, can very effectively neutralize oxygen radicals even in the inner ear stressed by acoustic trauma, insufficient oxygenation or ototoxic drugs.

Before visiting the noisy places (pubs, concerts, shooting) it is recommended in addition to classical hearing protection (earmuffs, earplugs) to take 1200 mg of antioxidant at least an hour or two before the event. It is also good to take it regularly. Personally, I take 3 times a day 600 mg NAC and before visiting the dentist I use 1,200 mg. It is believed that large amount of NAC could protect ear cells against acoustic trauma completly. This means that, despite the long-term stay in noisy rock concert, inner ear should not suffer significant damage. Personally, I have not tried it, but it is clear that NAC increases the chances of survival of auditory cells under metabolic stress.

http://hearinghealthmatters.org/hearthemusic/2012/l-nac-and-hearing-loss-prevention-from-loud-music/

NAC also tested in the US military and its effectiveness was confirmed:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22122955

What could help with tinnitus V. - Food supplements treatment - lipoflavonoids

Lipoflavonoids or lipo-flavonoids are a dietary supplements designed to provide better blood circulation in the inner ear and thus the alleviation of tinnitus caused by impaired blood flow in them. Thus, the method of treatment using lipoflavonoids can alleviate tinnitus for people with Meniere's syndrome or vascular disorders, but e. g. in the acoustic trauma it probably fails to function.

http://www.healthhound.org/2010/04/lipo-flavonoid-investigation/342.html

Various tinnitus causes III. - Other less common causes of ringing in the ears

Head Injury - tinnitus can arise even when head is injured because off a fall, car accident, or the like. The reason is probably the greater or lesser damage to certain parts of the brain that are directly or indirectly linked to the auditory center.

Stress - heavy stress load can also cause tinnitus, also the mechanism in this cause is not fully understood, but I believe that the instability of the chemical environment of the brain in severe stress can obviously affect the functionality of the inner ear, or audio center in the brain.

Problems with the cervical spine can cause tinnitus too. These is usually healed by visiting a qualified chiropractor.

What could help with tinnitus IV. - Corticosteroids

They belong to the group of hormonal drugs and body produces them itsel in small amounts.

These drugs with numerous side effects can be effective when administered shortly after acoustic trauma. They can help even in a damaged cochlea by ototoxic medications, but in that case damage occurs more or less gradually, hence it is possible that their efficacy is not so great. But in principle, acoustic trauma and ototoxic drugs cause the same kind of damage.

Corticosteroids (eg., Prednisone, methylprednisolone, prednisolone) taken timely significantly reduce inflammation and can save auditory cells that would otherwise be destroyed by it. We can say that this is a first-aid, very effective in early (within 48 hours after AT) stage, but virtually ineffective when used too late (for example, after a week of AT). In any case, there is no need to throw in the towel and possibly corticosteroids try even if you came late to the doctor.

What could help with tinnitus III. - Vasodilators

This category includes substances such as betahistine dihydrochloride, Vinpocentine or Ginkgo Biloba extract. Vasodilators generally comprise first aid drips. All these substances have a role to expand capillaries in the inner ear and improve the supply of auditory cells with oxygen and energy. Capillaries are, as we know, narrow after acoustic trauma, therefore, these substances may be quite effective in the early stages.

Betahistine is also used successfully in the treatment of Meniere's syndrome.

Ginkgo's positive effect on Tinnitus has not been documented.

Various tinnitus causes II. - Viral or bacterial infections and tumors

Ringing in the ears can be caused by disease, when damages to inner ear is done by virus (eg. Encephalitis) or bacteria (eg. Untreated Borreliosis) - it does not mean that tinnitus really begins. Simply, there are people who have sensitive ears and they are more at risk.

Acoustic neuroma - benign cancer, a tumor that grows in the close vicinity of the auditory nerve and by the pressure causes malfunction, often even tinnitus. After surgical removal of the tumor, tinnitus usually disappears - depends on the nerve damage that was caused by former pressure.

What could help with tinnitus II. - vitamins and minerals

source: flickr.com

After beginning of ringing in the ears, vitamin supplements are rather prevention against hearing deterioration, although the improvement is also posible. Vitamins A, C, E are important antioxidants and their deficiency can cause an increased tinnitus symptoms. Similarly, zinc deficiency. Vitamins A, C, E are generally known as protectors of the body. Beware of vitamin A, with which you can overdose. Vitamins C and E are dissolvable in water, so the excess eliminated by the body, but vitamin A is dissolvable in fat.

From my own experience I know that magnesium is helpful in combating tinnitus. The higher doses act on the body soothingly. After a few days I felt certain level of relief. However, one should be careful about the type of magnesia. For example, most affordable Magnesium oxide has the worst absorbency (bioaviability) unlike Magnesium citrate or lactate, which should be more effective.

http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/types-of-magnesium/

And here is interesting discussion on this issue:

http://www.longecity.org/forum/topic/16932-bioavailability-elemental-of-magnesium-types/

Combination of calcium and vitamin D - it is generally recommended to take these products together in order for better absorbtion. Beware of overdose with vitamin D and calcium. I do not recommend their use in an increased dose, after longer period of time they can cause calcification of soft tissues and significant health problems, which can also worsen tinnitus. So useh calcium and vitamin D with caution. I myself had bad experience with it - fortunatelly I stopped excessive intake of calcium and vitamin D, so my tinnitus went back to the original level.

Various tinnitus causes I. - Ototoxicity of drugs

Tinnitus can be caused by so called ototoxic drugs. Generally, it is chemical intoxication of neurosensory cells in the inner ear (see eg. this article on ototoxicity). Among ototoxic drugs are certain types of stronger antibiotics or chemotherapeutic drugs containing heavy metals (eg. cisplatin containing platinum).

The principle of damage is more or less similar to the acoustic trauma. Toxic effect of drug damages the metabolism of the cell and its functions, causes degeneration of the stereocilia and finally apoptosis of the whole cells. Those that survived the programmed death due to an injured metabolism, transmit false signals to the auditory center of the brain - thus causing tinnitus.

What could help with tinnitus I. - Chamomile tea

Image source: Wikipedia

Chamomile tea has anti-inflammatory properties not only for the inner ear, its healing effect is proven by centuries of use. On the Internet one can find cases in when it helped reduce inflammation in the internal ear and relieve tinnitus.
Personally, I drink chamomile tea every day. I can certainly confirm that helped me with ringing in the ears, but on the other hand, I drink it because of the afomentioned therapeutic effect and tastes alike.

Tinnitus retraining therapy

This method was developed by Pawel J. Jastreboff in the late 80s from then known general facts about neuroplasticity of the brain. It has been used for over twenty years.

Auditory system is connected to a part of the brain that controls emotions and automatically responds to impending danger. Therefore, initial feelings of a man suffering from tinnitus are fear and anxiety, because the body subconsciously recognizes tinnitus as a looming threat. The aim of Tinnitus retraining therapy is to stop perceive ringing ears as a danger, thus achieving the brain to ignore it so the patient could calm down.

Imagine that you are in the kitchen with humming refrigerator. As you are used to the refrigerator, it's imperceptible and you only realize something when the compressor is off for a while. It's similar with tinnitus. Jastreboff's method is designed to accustom the human brain to tinnitus so that it ceased to be perceived.

It is actually a kind of sound therapy. Devices used look like hearing aids (TCI or Tinnitus Control Instrument), but they transmit white noise to the ear. This noise is the AET same or a slightly lower volume than the actual tinnitus. It is important that the noise does not completely mask tinnitus.

The method consists of four elements, including consultation, interviews with psychologists, relaxation and the use of equipment to broadcast noise TCI for at least 8 hours a day.
Therapy is long term and lasts about two years. Jastreboff's therapy also works for hyperacusis, which often accompanies tinnitus itself. Many people treated with this method say that in addition to improving life conditions even tinnitus is attenuated.
Using Tinnitus retraining therapy one gradually gets used to his tinnitus and learn to live with it until it will be treatable. So the therapy to help the patient return to a lost lease on life to make him better waiting for clinical treatment.

Lately, however, I met with the views that challenge the effectiveness of Tinnitus retraining therapy, although its effectiveness for at least hyperacusis is undeniable. However, regarding ringing in the ears, despite the fact that many patients claim that they were helped, with high probability it is a natural process of habituation to tinnitus, which would apparently took place without treatment, albeit slowly or painfully.