The Most Effective Tinnitus Treatment

Tinnitus is a ringing or buzzing sound in the ears. It is a symptom of an underlying condition, such as ear injury, age-related hearing loss or circulatory issues. Tinnitus is often such an irritating condition that people are apt to try anything that may help alleviate the problem. Among the remedies that people try are ear-wax removal, supplements, vitamins and medications, including antidepressants and tranquilizers. Hearing aids and cochlear implants are also used in some instances, as is cognitive therapy. However, there are some effective and/or experimental treatments currently available for treating tinnitus.

Electrical stimulation

Various types of electrical stimulation are sometimes used to treat tinnitus, such as transcranial magnetic stimulation, direct-current stimulation and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation. In addition, implanted electrodes are sometimes used to stimulate the auditory cortex or the vagus nerve. The exact ways in which electrical stimulation may help treat tinnitus is still under study.

External sound

Sound or music is used to help mask the sounds of tinnitus or to help the tinnitus sufferer to avoid concentrating on the sound. Methods that rely on the use of sound or music to treat tinnitus include low-pitched sound treatment, tinnitus masking with white noise, tinnitus retraining therapy, auditive stimulation therapy (music therapy, auditive destimulation therapy (also referred to as "notched music" therapy), ultrasonic bone-conduction external acoustic stimulation and neuromonics.

Lidocaine

Research has shown that injecting lidocaine into the inner ear can alleviate tinnitus for up to 20 minutes. While this shows some promise, it is currently necessary to administer another drug to counteract the side effects of lidocaine.

There is no one treatment method for tinnitus that works for all sufferers. It is often a matter of trial and error to find a treatment or combination of treatments that works for each individual. Some of these more aggressive treatments may hold some promise.