TINNITUS (EAR RINGING)
Written by Slawomir Gromadzki, MPH
Tinnitus is defined as a noise (ringing, buzzing, hissing, rustling or roaring) heard inside the head. Although this condition seems to be resistant to conventional treatment and medication, there is, however, an alternative approach which often gives very good results and may even lead to recovery from tinnitus. Sometimes relief can be experienced after a few days or weeks but more often it requires many months of patience and persistence.
POSSIBLE CAUSES
One of the most common causes of tinnitus symptoms is injury to the microscopic endings of the hearing nerve. This damage might be caused or contributed by the following factors:
– The most common cause is the deficiency of vitamin B12, zinc, and magnesium.
– Other causes may include the following: Long exposure to noise or loud music, head injury, ear infection, salicylates in aspirin & other medication, impacted earwax deep in the ear, high blood pressure, free radicals (stress, bad diet, toxins) and lack of antioxidants, high blood sugar and insulin levels, insulin resistance, stimulants (coffee, tea, cola drinks, chocolate, green tea, alcohol, smoking, drugs, etc.), atherosclerosis and high cholesterol (meat, dairy, desserts, etc.), unhealthy lifestyle and diet (high in sugar, refined foods, meat, dairy, bad fats and oils), poor blood circulation, fluoride, chlorine, heavy metals (mercury, lead, etc.).
There is evidence that aspirin causing tinnitus in the rat model >
Among other possible causes are the following:
– Vitamin B12 deficiency. A significant number of patients with tinnitus or noise-induced hearing loss are vitamin B12 deficient. Cobalamin (B12) is very helpful in reversing neurological damage in the body. Proper supplementation of this vitamin helped many people to recover from other conditions caused by neurological damage including peripheral neuropathy, multiple sclerosis (MS)-like symptoms (caused by B12 deficiency), or even Alzheimer’s. Vitamin B12 deficiency may cause or contribute to tinnitus due to changes in neurological function within the auditory system.
– Zinc deficiency. According to one review, elderly tinnitus sufferers in particular tend to be lacking in zinc, and supplements can be beneficial.
– Magnesium deficiency caused by soil depletion, chronic stress, sugar intake, use of stimulants, refined diet, etc. Taking large doses of supplemental vitamin D without magnesium (200mg twice daily) will lead to magnesium deficiency (most of us are already deficient in this mineral due to soil depletion, etc.) and may worsen or even cause tinnitus symptoms as magnesium deficiency is can be one of the causes of this condition.
– Iron deficiency can cause the arteries to pump harder to deliver more blood. Iron deficiency can lead to pulsatile tinnitus, where those affected can hear their pulse or heartbeat in their ears.
– Antioxidant deficiency.
TREATMENT
For a very long time we have been brainwashed with untrue ideas that it is impossible to recover from many so called “incurable” diseases. But today we know that our body has amazing ability to regenerate itself and there is enough scientific evidence to prove that it is possible to recover not only from cancer, type two diabetes or coronary heart disease but even from autoimmune diseases such as type 1 diabetes, peripheral neuropathy or Alzheimer’s disease. In one study just a humble turmeric managed to reverse Alzheimer’s disease in patients who couldn’t recognise family members. The simple conclusion is, therefore, that if it is possible to regenerate damaged nerve tissue in the brain then it must be possible to cure the cause of tinnitus as well. However, in order to achieve this goal you need to be patient and do not give up even if you have to wait many months. You also must follow all the recommendations presented here and in the HEALTH RECOVERY PLAN! >
A fascinating research was done by Nobel Prize winner Elizabeth Blackburn and Dr. Dean Ornish. They were studying the effects of the healthy vegan diet on human genes and found that the plant-based unrefined diet caused certain genes to go through series of positive transformations in only three months! The vegan diet managed to activate genes responsible for preventing diseases and deactivate genes which cause different health conditions (read more >). This very important discovery proves again that although we may inherit some faulty genes or damage them through our unhealthy lifestyle yet we don’t have to be helpless victims of those genes. We still can repair or regenerate them through healthy lifestyle and especially unrefined plant-based and mostly raw diet combined with four critical foods, herbal remedies and good quality supplements.
Treating tinnitus requires radical lifestyle changes, very healthy unrefined diet and regular energetic exercise, vitamin and mineral supplementation, herbal remedies, and antioxidants. In order to be more effective try also to find other conditions that may magnify the symptoms. Find the description of the problem in the DISEASES section and implement the recommendations.
In addition, read carefully and do your best to implement all the principles and recommendations included in the HEALTH RECOVERY PLAN >
SUPPLEMENTS
– Vitamin B12 IS THE MOST IMPORTANT SUPPLEMENT IN TREATING TINNITUS (must be sublingual methylcobalamin, not cyanocobalamin) 2000mcg (2 tab) a day under the tongue only after breakfast. Do not swallow as it won’t be absorbed. B12 will work even better in your attempt to treat tinnitus if it is combined with Alpha-lipoic acid, Chlorella, Zinc, Magnesium, and vitamin D3. Please take B12 continuously for all your life! Keep on taking it even if you can’t see positive results after months as recovery may take place after a long time. Read about amazing benefits of Vitamin B12
– Zinc – 50 mg after breakfast and the same dose after lunch. Zinc and B12 deficiency are probably the most common cause of tinnitus. It may take two weeks or more to help, but it sometimes will help within hours, if zinc deficiency is the cause. Zinc is more effective for continuous ringing than it is for intermittent ringing. One study reported that supplementing with zinc in elderly patients who were only marginally zinc-deficient improved tinnitus and hearing loss in about one-third of them. If after about two months of using zinc and vitamin B12 you don’t experience any relief keep on taking them anyway as sometimes the regeneration of any damaged tissue which causes tinnitus takes very long time.
– Ginkgo biloba (must be in the form of standardized extract containing at least 20 per cent Ginkgo flavonol glycosides). Ginkgo is often helpful in tinnitus as it improves blood circulation in the brain. According to one clinical study tinnitus symptoms were improved with 1 year of treatment. In the study, 12 out of 33 patients were completely cured while five reported significant improvement of their symptoms.
Ginkgo biloba improves the condition of patients with tinnitus >
– Vitamin D3 – Video: I cured my Tinnitus with vitamin d3 > The author of the video was taking about 30,000 IU of Vitamin D3 daily + Vitamin K2 (200 micrograms daily). Vitamin K2 MK-7 is very important because it prevents vitamin D from leading to calcification, but even more important is taking 200mg of magnesium twice daily as without enough magnesium in the body vitamin D will remain inactive!
Please keep in mind that taking large doses of vitamin D without magnesium (200mg twice daily) will lead to magnesium deficiency (most of us are already deficient in this mineral due to soil depletion, etc.) and may worsen or even cause tinnitus symptoms as magnesium deficiency is can be one of the causes of this condition. If you have Ringing in the Ears after Taking Vitamin D and Tinnitus from Vitamin D.
– Magnesium. Scientists at the University of Leicester found that regular consumption of foods high in magnesium (especially dark leafy greens, nuts, seeds, avocados, etc.), may help reduce tinnitus (if listed above foods grow in magnesium-rich soil). A study published in the Occupational Medicine journal showed that exposing people to a daily damaging loud noises caused their bodies to excrete magnesium contributing to tinnitus (>). Taking well-absorbed magnesium supplements (200mg of elemental mesonium twice daily), may decrease noise-induced ear damage, which which causes tinnitus. A study published in the American Journal of Otolaryngology demonstrated beneficial effects of supplemental magnesium on participants exposed to loud noises. Participants that took supplemental magnesium had fewer noise-induced permanent hearing threshold shifts – similar to tinnitus auditory effects that lead to hearing loss. Participants were taking a daily dose of 167 milligrams of elemental magnesium in the form of aspartate. As a result, they didn’t experience long-term side effects.
Study conclusion (daily magnesium supplementation was 532 mg): “The results suggest that magnesium may have a beneficial effect on perception of tinnitus-related handicap when scored with the THI” (>).
– Iron bisglycinate (if you are deficient in iron). Take supplemental iron with Alpha Lipoic Acid which is most effective in preventing oxidative damage caused by iron.
OTHER IMPORTANT REMEDIES
– Chlorella. I personally believe Chlorella is currently the best natural super food and natural remedy in the world. And you should agree with me after reading the article about Chlorella >. Since Chlorella is a powerful detoxifier and energy booster it is better if you start with a smaller dose such as 1 teaspoon or 3 tablets 30 minutes before breakfast and the same amount 30 minutes before lunch with 2 glasses of water, vegetable juice or smoothie. Then gradually increase the intake every day (by approximately 1 tablet) until reaching the maximum dose of 2 heaped tablespoons or 10 – 20 tablets (500mg) 30 min before breakfast and the same amount 30 min before lunch. Altogether you can take 2-6 round tablespoons or about 20-40 tablets (500mg per tablet) of chlorella a day. he more you take the better results you will see. It is better and more beneficial to take chlorella alternately with moringa, barley grass, alfalfa, Clean Greens (Pukka), Vital (Pukka), Bee pollen or other super foods or formulas as in this way you will avoid possible overdosing of iodine or other Chlorella’s ingredients (although I never found any reliable evidence that taking large doses of Chlorella may be harmful). The dose depends also on age and body weight. The younger the children the smaller dose should be used. In case of small children I would start from 1 tablet or half a teaspoon mixed with breakfast or juice and slowly increase to 3 tablets or 1 teaspoon 2 times a day. Older children can start from 3 tablets or 1 flat teaspoon and gradually increase to about 7 tablets or 1 tablespoon with breakfast and lunch. While taking chlorella remember to increase your water intake to 3 times a day 2-3 glasses between meals. READ MORE >
– Spirulina could reduce salicylate-induced tinnitus > Read more about Spirulina >
– Pycnogenol (powerful antioxidant) and L-cysteine (or NAC).
Pycnogenol relieves symptoms of tinnitus by improving cochlear flow >
Antioxidant therapy reduces symptoms in patients with idiopathic tinnitus >
– Alpha lipoic acid (together with Methylcobalamin very most effective in reversing neurological damages in human body).
– Coenzyme Q10 may decrease the symptoms of tinnitus in patients with low plasma Coenzyme Q10 levels > Please keep in mind that statins, metformin and other drugs lead to huge CoQ10 deficiency!
– Vitamin D3. Almost every person in England is deficient in vitamin D. Vitamin D is important for human nervous system and it also assists in the prevention of osteoporosis brought on by the menopause. Vitamin D appears to be much more important than calcium in preventing fractures. While taking vitamin D3 supplements always remember to take also well absorbed magnesium (such as citrate) as vitamin D supplements lead to magnesium deficiency over time. If you can’t afford higher doses take at least 4,000 IU of vitamin D3 a day with meal. But since deficiency of this vitamin is so widespread (especially in the UK) it would be better to take 10,000 to 30,000 or even 50,000 IU a day with meals with appropriate doses of Magnesium (50,000 IU shouldn’t be taken longer than 2 months), as without enough magnesium in the body vitamin D is useless and leads to magnesium deficiency, sleep problems, etc. Another requirement for proper absorption of vitamin D is 200-500 mcg of Vitamin K2 MK-7 (Derived from Natural Natto) a day because without K2 in the body vitamin D will deposit calcium in arteries, brain, kidneys, joints, etc. instead in the bones and teeth leading to hardening of blood vessels, calcification of pineal gland, kidney stones, varicose veins, osteoarthritis, constipation, etc.
– Tinnitus has been linked to having depleted levels of Magnesium and supplementing with this mineral seems to help. Millions suffer from magnesium deficiency without even knowing it. Magnesium deficiency is often misdiagnosed because it does not show up in blood tests as only 1% of the body’s magnesium is stored in the blood. According to Dr. Norman Shealy, “Every known illness is associated with a magnesium deficiency. Magnesium deficiency may be responsible for more diseases than any other nutrient.” Dosage: Try to use a good quality magnesium of high bioavailability such as Magnesium citrate (MagCitra by HealthAid): 2 x 400mg 60 min before breakfast and about 1 – 3 hours before bed. If you take high doses of vitamin D3 you need 2 x 800mg (2 x 1 teaspoon).
– Good quality Multivitamin-mineral formula or Vitamin B-complex: 1 tablet after breakfast. Please do not buy cheap formulas as their potency is very low and they contain only short list of inorganic ingredients. It must be a good quality formula such as Healthy Mega (HealthAid), VM75 (Solgar) or Special Two (NOW Foods) which are an excellent multi-vitamin and mineral formulas fortified with alfalfa powder, rutin, citrus bioflavonoids, bromelain, herbs, digestive enzymes and many other super nutrients. If your diet is very healthy and you stay away from refined foods, sugar and stimulants then take only 1/2 tablet after breakfast.
– Since Vitamin B complex (B1, B2, B3, B6, B12, Folate) play very important role in dealing with ADHD I recommand getting B complex with a good quality multivitamin-mineral formula which is high in B vitamins. One of my favourite ones is Healthy Mega (HealthAid) as it is not only high in B vitamins and at the same time it contains zinc, selenium, herbs, digestive enzymes, micronutrients, and few super grasses. Compared with other popular formulas Healthy mega may contain even up to 60 times more vitamins per tablet!
Adults may take 1 tablet of Healthy Mega after breakfast, children 1/2 tablet (or less) crushed and mixed with juice after breakfast.
– Get potassium from vegetable salads, potatoes and bananas as people with tinnitus are usually deficient in potassium.
– Take bioflavonoids and rutin which may improve or even completely resolve symptoms of Meniere’s disease, including tinnitus.
– Vitamin B6: 50mg a day with meal
– Folate (Folic acid) – 400 mcg a day with meal but it is better to get folate from green leafy vegetable which are the highest source of this vitamin.
– Omega 3 fats have been suggested by research to have a calming and anti-depressive effect on the nervous system enhancing brain health and mental well-being. Rich sources of Omega-3 are: flax oil, flax seeds (must be ground), soaked for 30 minutes or longer chia seeds, walnuts, almonds, and pumpkin seeds.
– Melatonin helps reduce symptoms of tinnitus. To increase melatonin take 5-HTP tryptophan with B6, Magnesium citrate, sublingual methylcobalamin (B12), and Zinc. In this way your brain will make more serotonin the precursor of melatonin.
– Good probiotic formula: with meals (2-3 x higher doses than recommended, for first month)
ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS
– Every day include in your diet the 5 CRITICAL and MOST POWERFUL SUPER FOODS:
1. Fresh raw sprouts;
2. Freshwater algae (chlorella);
3. Super grasses (barley grass, alfalfa, wheat grass);
4. Fresh cold pressed vegetable juices;
5. Fresh raw organic turmeric powder (Pukka) or holistic turmeric capsules (Pukka) with 10 x better bioavailability than powder.
– If regular healthy diet doesn’t seem to be enough go on Hallelujah diet for 6 months. It is the most effective diet in dealing with resistant to treatment conditions. Thousands of people recovered from so called incurable diseases on this diet.
Read more about HALLELUJAH DIET >
– Drink 1 or 2 glasses of fresh raw and possibly cold-pressed (using slow juicer) vegetable juices (carrots, beets, broccoli, kale or spinach, etc.) 2 to 3 times a day before meals or instead. It is even better to have them with chlorella or spirulina, alfalfa, turmeric and barley grass.
– To learns how to regulate blood sugar and insulin levels got to DIABETES >
– Avoid stimulants including chocolate, green tea, black tea, caffeine, alcohol, cola, etc.
– Treat high blood pressure using natural remedies (hawthorn, l-arginine, vitamin D3, magnesium, etc.) as it can cause tinnitus. Read about HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE >
– Symptoms are reduced and sometimes disappear once you have less fat in your diet including all animal fats and bad plant oils and margarine. Try to use only raw organic coconut oil.
– Supplementing your diet with a combination of vitamins A and E can often improve or cure tinnitus. In a study of 31 patients with tinnitus, 18 weeks of oral antioxidant therapy, including beta-carotene, and vitamins C and E, reduced the intensity of tinnitus and the discomfort experienced by sufferers.
– Avoid refined salt. Instead use only Celtic salt.
– Avoid refined sugar and high glucose / fructose syrup as some tinnitus sufferers are sensitive to the sugar plant. There is also a link between tinnitus and hyperinsulinaemia—when there’s too much blood insulin in relation to glucose—which is often the first step towards developing type 2 diabetes.
– Cut the carbs. Occasionally, tinnitus sufferers have high insulin levels with abnormal glucose tolerance test results at the same time. In such cases, a low-carbohydrate, high-protein diet is likely to help.
– Drink 3 times a day 2 or 3 glasses of distilled (or at least filtered) water about 30 to 60 minutes before each meal or about 2 hours after. During hot days you need even more. Your urine should be transparent, if it is yellow it means you don’t drink enough water.
– In order to enable the healthy plant-based mostly raw diet to be more effectively used by your body you need to exercise on a regular basis. It doesn’t mean that without exercising this diet wouldn’t work as you will see the results even if you don’t want or can’t exercise, but if you do include this very important element it will greatly increases the effectiveness of the whole program. As soon as you wake up in the morning, remember to drink 2-3 glasses of water and then exercise for at least 30-60 minutes. Brisk walking outside is the best exercise. If the weather is not good you can exercise at home using mate, treadmill, exercise bike, Xbox Kinect games, etc. But please remember that aerobic exercises (outside in the open air) are the best. You need a minimum of 30 to 60 minutes of physical activity four to five times a week. If you suffer from different heart conditions you shouldn’t start with energetic exercise routine. In this case you need to change the diet first, keep in touch with your physician, continue taking your prescribed medication, and after some time start from short distance and slow walking routine, gradually and carefully increasing the pace and distance every day. Only when you see positive changes in your health you can start slowly reducing the medication as otherwise it will cause negative side effects.
– Alternative hot and cold showers > will improve circulation, elimination of toxins and will stimulate the nervous and immune system. Start with hot shower, and after about 5 minutes when your body is warm enough take a short (3 min) cold shower slowly reducing the temperature. Then alternate the flow of water from hot to cold, back and forth 5-7 times in a row. Before using this treatment consult your physician first if you have any chronic health conditions especially if they are associated with heart.
– Learn to control stress and think positive as it was demonstrated stress control can help people decrease tinnitus >
Please read MOTIVATION AND EMPOWERMENT very carefully as it reveals the secret of finding true source of strength necessary to overcome bad habits and will help you to gain a powerful motivation to not only practice but also enjoy the new and very healthy way of life.
– In the morning and evening take the alternative (contrast) hot and cold shower as it will give a tremendous boost to the blood circulation (including in your ears), improve metabolism, the elimination of toxins, and stimulate both the nervous and the immune system. Always start with hot shower and after about 3 – 5 minutes when your body is warm enough take a 3 – 5 min cold shower slowly reducing the temperature until it is really cold. After that, repeat this procedure alternating the flow of water from hot to cold, back and forth 3-5 times in a row. You can also start the whole treatment with hot shower followed by prolonged cold bath.
Cold water stimulates blood to flow toward the internal organs whereas the hot water directs blood toward the skin. Hot water enlarges blood vessels while cold water causes them to shrink. Therefore, the alternating hot and cold makes the circulation move in and out like an accordion. This has the effect of increasing the rate of detoxification and moving nutrients more readily to various parts of the body. Hot and cold showers can be taken 1 to 2 times a day.
The cold shower or bath, which is even more beneficial than hot, will not harm you if you precede it with good hot shower. Cold water by cooling our body forces it to burn more calories by activating the brown fat which boosts fat burning. Brown fat can play a very important role in controlling body weight because it is a heat-generating type of fat which burns energy instead of storing it. Although it is called “fat” it actually works more like a muscle than fat.
Apart from cold also hot treatments such as sauna can be beneficial in treating inflammations, infectious diseases, skin problems, poor blood circulation, obesity, etc. as it boosts immune system and helps in eliminating toxins from our body. In addition it is also effective in removing excess fat which can be explained by the fact that fats become water-soluble when they are exposed to the temperature higher than 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit) thus forcing the body to eliminate the excess fat together with water during the process of sweating triggered by sauna or another prolonged hot treatment such as hot foot bath, hot shower, etc.
Sauna is recommend especially after exercising.
If your main goal is to lose more fat it is suggested that you should drink a lot of water (1 to 2 litres) about 30 to 60 minutes before sauna and 30 minutes after but not during the time you stay in sauna.
Also remember that although sauna or other hot treatments can be beneficial and help to lose weight it must be frequently interrupted with cold showers. Apart from that, during any prolonged hot treatment a cold compress on the forehead and neck should be applied constantly.
If you experience any health problems please consult the use of sauna and other prolonged hot or cold treatments with your physician.
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– READ: From Darkness to Light, How I Recovered from Tinnitus & Hyperacusis >
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SOURCES
http://www.greenmedinfo.com/disease/tinnitus
http://www.greenmedinfo.com/article/there-evidence-efficacy-ginkgo-biloba-standardized-extract-egb-761-treatment