Is Taking Tinnitus Medication Truly Your Best Option?
Tinnitus is a medical condition in which the patient is hearing a constant sound in one or both ears. The sound may be ringing, hissing, buzzing, or other irritating noise. Although generally not fatal, the condition can be very frustrating.
It can also particularly aggravate at night, causing sleeplessness and bad mornings. In some, the condition could also cause extreme anxiety and debilitate him or her from going on his or her daily routine.
Tinnitus medication comes in different forms although their primary aim is to deal with other conditions. In this article, let’s focus on the most common medications used for tinnitus and whether they are truly the best option to deal with the condition.
First off, you have to understand that although some drugs fall under the tinnitus medication category, they are not primarily for the said condition. Meaning, they were really meant for something else. They just happen to indirectly lessen the symptoms of tinnitus.
Now, although the reduction of the symptoms sounds good, using the drugs isn’t all great. For one, what’s so good about taking something that you are not really supposed to take, right?
Here’s a quick list of the most common drugs used for tinnitus and their brief descriptions:
- Benadryl– As you may already know, Benadryl is an antihistamine. It can be bought without prescription to treat allergies. Compared with other forms of tinnitus medication, Benadryl has fewer side effects. Some doctors recommended taking it when they suspect that the person hears the ringing or the buzzing due to allergy. Although Benadryl can reduce the discomfort brought about by tinnitus, it may lead to drug dependency.
- Klonopin, Valium, and Xanax– All these drugs are originally formulated to treat anxiety and depression. However, sometimes, they are prescribed to “lower the volume” of the irritating noise in the ears. The problem with these drugs is like antihistamines, they may also encourage drug dependency. In addition, they also commonly cause nausea and drowsiness. They are absolutely not ideal for people who need to stay alert for their jobs. Besides, none of them can permanently make tinnitus go away.
- Phenytoin, Primidone, Tegretol, Valporic Acid– These drugs are collectively known as anticonvulsants. All of them have shown some effectiveness when it comes to tinnitus. However, they may also come with dangerous side effects that can seriously put your health at risk. The blood pressure of people taking anticonvulsants should be constantly monitored as it is often the one negatively affected. Once irregularities happen, the doctor must be notified immediately.
These are the most common drugs used as tinnitus medication. Having learned of their brief descriptions, you may already have an idea whether the benefits of taking them outweigh the risks.
If you are truly concerned about your well-being, opting for these drugs should not even cross your mind. Besides, there are natural forms of tinnitus cure. They are a lot safer and effective than any conventional tinnitus medication.
Instead of wasting your time and money on something synthetic and harmful, why not go natural instead?
Visit : www.HowtoStopTinnitusNow.com
What is the Cause of Tinnitus?
Tinnitus is a sound perception sensation that affects thousands of people around the world. The hard to tolerate ringing noise that is commonly known as tinnitus in the medical community is actually the ear generating a noise the corresponds with external sound. Traditionally there are many reasons why this occurs. Understanding the cause of your tinnitus can help a patient better cope with this problem and potentially overcome it.
First, you must understand that tinnitus is not, in itself, any type of medical disorder. It is actually a symptom to other problems going on in the body. There are hundreds of underlying conditions and that can be the cause of tinnitus. In many cases, this symptom will only last for a short period of time but there are people who suffer with it for years on end and a small percentage of people experience an intense form of tinnitus that it interferes with their everyday life.
Common problems that are the cause of tinnitus for short periods of time include sinus allergy problems, wax build-up in the ear canal, exposure to loud sound, ear infections and a foreign object in the ear. People who regularly wear in-ear headphones are also likely to experience tinnitus more often. This symptom is also considered a natural part of the aging process for people who begin to lose their hearing.
cause of tinnitus
The problem with tinnitus is that it is very difficult for doctors to diagnose. Typically they will attempt to run hearing tests based on frequency and intensity. This noise comparison is really the only way for a doctor to determine this symptom. Some medical professionals will stop at that point and simply prescribe a medication that helps with the ringing.
A good doctor, however, will run further tests to determine what the root cause of tinnitus is. Patients who suffer with this symptom may experience ringing in one or both of the ears. The noise is not always perceived as ringing. Sometimes it can sound like the ticking of a clock, a dull roar noise similar to what you hear when you put your ear up to a sea shell, loud buzzing or even hissing or whistling. Research has shown that there are dozens of different sounds that are associated with tinnitus.
It is common for a person who is hearing ringing or buzzing in their ears to have suffered some level of hearing loss already in their life. Doctors attribute the sound that they are hearing to phantom sounds. Another common cause of tinnitus is muscle spasms within the ear canal. There is also adequate research that suggests that antibiotics can be the cause of tinnitus.
The list of most common causes of tinnitus includes:
- Antibiotics
- Lead poisoning
- Exposure to excessively loud noise
- Ear infection
- Middle ear effusion
- Diruetics
- Antidepressants
- Neurological disorders
- Head injury
- Thyroid disease
- Fibromyalgia
- Lyme disease
- Use of psychedelic drugs
- Sleep paralysis
Nutrition is believed to play a vital role in curing the cause of tinnitus. Proper nutrition is lacking substantially in the United States and is believed to contribute to the nearly 40% of people who are suffering with this symptom. Caffeine, sugar, salt (sodium) and chocolate are believed to elevate the occurrence and intensity of tinnitus. These items should be avoided. An increase in dark leafy greens such as kale and spinach is proven to help relieve the ringing in the ears. The nutrients that are found in other sea vegetables are also preferred by nutritionists for treating tinnitus. Finally, tropical fruits such as mango and pineapple as well as garlic are known to help decrease the overall symptoms of tinnitus. In addition to dietary changes, a nutritional supplement may need to be added to your diet to help fully alleviate the cause of tinnitus. Determining the right supplement will be between a nutritionist and client.
It is imperative that a person learn the root cause of their tinnitus before embarking on any life changing alterations to help cure it. There are hundreds of potential reasons why tinnitus occurs. While treating the symptom is always a top priority because it will alleviate the pain and irritation the patient is experiencing, overlooking the potential cause can be very dangerous. Some of the medical conditions that have been associated with tinnitus include heart problems and diabetes. Such medical disorders that are left undiagnosed can lead to serious health problems and possibly death for a patient.
If you are suffering from tinnitus you should start by keeping track of when it occurs and the moments which it increases in intensity or frequency. A detailed diary of what you were doing, where you were and what you were eating will help doctors better determine why this is happening. It is important to understand that there is no generic test to determine the cause of tinnitus. A doctor must rely on what a patient tells them and documents in order to determine the best course of action and future treatment. If you are planning on meeting with a physician regarding your situation, be sure to have at least 30 days of journaling available so the doctor has some sort of information to work off of from the start. This will help increase the diagnostic process and benefit the patient and the doctor.
Tinnitus can be an unbearable and uncomfortable situation. Many people experience short term tinnitus in response to a recent event or sickness. Short term is defined as lasting no more than a few days. If you are experiencing tinnitus for longer than three days it important to go see a doctor. Tinnitus as a symptom can continue to elevate until it interferes with a person’s life. If you find that tinnitus is impacting your ability to work, sleep, think or function on a day to day basis then it could be the sign of something more serious, possibly life threatening. Once the cause of tinnitus is determined it can be easily resolved for a happy, healthy patient
