Hi everyone,
I have figured out some treatment protocols that really help with at least some forms of tinnitus.
I think that many people have tinnitus that is actually caused by eustachian tube inflammation. Not all tinnitus comes from this problem -- some tinnitus is due to actual injury to the eardrum or hearing loss or other neurological causes -- but my hypothesis is that a lot more tinnitus cases are due to inflammation than anyone realizes. Even ENTs don't realize this in many cases (many of them are really surgeons who take a mechanical view of the ear and don't really pay that much attention to inflammation, unless it is very acute and obvious).
Simply put: When the eustachian tube becomes chronically inflamed it can lead to negative pressure in the middle ear and this results in tinnitus. The inflammation causes the tube to swell and stick shut, preventing normal ventilation, and this forms a sort of vacuum that pulls on the eardrum causing irritation that results in tinnitus. Inflammation can also lead to chronic low-grade infections in the middle ear that in turn results in negative pressure and irritation of the eardrum in the same way.
I have struggled with this problem for many months and have found several solutions that really make a difference. And the good news is that they are easy.
First of all, you really need to get serious about reducing inflammation in your entire body, and also your ears. Try the following:
1. Eliminate common allergens from your diet as much as you can. Especially dairy.
2. Take nasal steroids every day. A really good newer one is Dymista:
http://www.dymista.com/
NOTE -- There is a proper way to take nasal steroids in order to direct them at the opening of your eustachian tubes -- You can learn about this technique here:
http://www.fauquierent.net/etd2.htm
3. Use a device like the ear popper to help clear your eustachian tubes -- it really helps! Use it many times a day, and over time it will help to reduce negative pressure and re-open your eustachian tube. It's not that cheap, but worth it!
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00449CW36/
4. Take high quality, super strong turmeric liquid. It's also not cheap but worth it and has a great effect on inflammation and has helped my tinnitus. There are many places to buy it -- here is one:
http://www.naturalhealthyconcepts.com/turmero-active-K75-8oz-p-apex-energetics.html
5. Reduce systemic infections to further reduce inflammation; one supplement that really helps your immune system fight infections over time is Monolaurin (also called Lauricydin). Here is where I get it:
http://www.inspirednutrition.com/st...aurin-an-internal-bacterial-defense-7-oz.html
6. Irrigate your sinuses with a Sinus Pulse machine. It's a neti pot on steriods basically.
Here is a source for the best one:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001CWT4JI/
And another one:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005UO6NRA/
7. If you have a neti pot or a sinus irrigator (see point 6), you can also try this more advanced technique:
Angle your head so that the warm salt water comes out your mouth (this way it is going in your nostril, and out your mouth, passing right over the opening of the eustachian tube).
Immediately after the water starts to comes out your mouth, while the opening to your eustachian tube is still soaked with water, "pop" your ear by holding your nose and blowing.
When done right you will hear a squeak sound as some of the water goes into your eustachian tube when you pop your ear.
Repeat this a few times and more water will go in. Then let it drain out. You can move your head around, touch your toes a few times, to help the drainage.
This will help to clean out your eustachian tube. It has an immediate effect on tinnitus that is caused by eustachian tube issues.
Note that if you get water in there, it may temporarily cause a sensation of ear fullness and reduced hearing, but it will drain out and you will notice improvement over several days.
Also don't overdo this - too much water in there could cause an ear infection. Start slow and don't try to pop your ears too hard or force too much water in there -- you could damage your eardrum. This is an advanced technique and should only be done if you are also doing all of the other steps to reduce inflammation.
8. You can use a similar technique to point (7) to "milk" nasal steroids into your eustachian tube. Simply pop your ear after the you properly use the nasal steroid (see point 2) and this will milk the steroid into your eustachian tube where it can help to reduce inflammation.
9. Also try this tinnitus supplement which, if taken regularly, really helps reduce inflammation as well:
http://www.iherb.com/Clear-Products-Clear-Tinnitus-60-Capsules/5998
10. Also take allergy medication every day (at night ideally) such as Allegra. This will also reduce sinus and eustachian inflammation.
11. In severe cases of tinnitus caused by negative pressure, if none of the above relieves it, your ENT can actually do a very simple surgical procedure to make a tiny hole in your eardrum, with or without a temporary tube inserted. This can allow air to flow in from the outside and relieve the vacuum, allowing the eustachian tube to open again. The eardrum heals on its own in a few weeks and there is minimal (temporary) hearing loss. This is not often suggested by ENT's but they can easily do it, and if none of the above work, you might want to bring it up with your doctor. It has helped some people immediately.
Also note, some things that I have tested that definitely don't help and/or can even make tinnitus worse:
1. Caffeine makes tinnitus worse in many cases, especially pulsatile tinnitus.
2. Cannabis has no effect on tinnitus or may even make it temporarily more annoying.
3. Rife machines do not have any effect on tinnitus. Don't waste your time. I've tested them.
4. Colloidal silver has no effect on tinnitus (and please don't put it your eyes as some people suggested in a forum thread here, unless you want the whites of your eyes to turn grey permanently!).
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