natural therapy tinnitus Acupuncture, herbs, and zinc are popular, but their safety and effectiveness have not been proven by research. However, because there is no cure for tinnitus and available medical treatments do not work for everyone, many people turn to complementary and alternative treatments to alleviate tinnitus symptoms.
This article describes some natural treatments for tinnitus and what current research says about their effectiveness.
ginkgo biloba
ginkgo biloba It is a popular herb recommended by alternative medicine practitioners for conditions such as anxiety, asthma, diabetes, erectile dysfunction, fatigue, glaucoma, and high blood pressure.
Some believe that ginkgo biloba can improve blood flow, reduce inflammation, and change the way nerve cells work. These effects are thought to improve tinnitus in some people.
There is limited evidence that ginkgo biloba can help people suffering from tinnitus. A 2022 Cochrane research review did not find sufficient evidence to support the use of ginkgo biloba alone or in combination with other treatments, such as hearing aids, as a treatment for tinnitus.
2017 Review They concluded that the evidence is mixed as to whether ginkgo biloba is helpful. “Ginkgo biloba may provide some improvement in tinnitus,” the researchers concluded.
acupuncture
Acupuncture is used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat many medical conditions, including tinnitus. Acupuncture is claimed to restore the flow of vital energy in the body (air) and in doing so improve your health.
A 2020 review of research into acupuncture as a treatment for tinnitus concluded that while there is not enough evidence to confirm that acupuncture is effective, it may be worth further research.
A 2022 research review found that while acupuncture may help some people with tinnitus, the quality of research to date is not strong enough to confirm an effect.
2016 review of European Otorhinolaryngology Archive He compared Chinese and English studies on this topic and pointed out the biases and flaws in many of them. The researchers wrote that acupuncture “may provide subjective benefits.” The subjective benefit suggests that people may find acupuncture helpful even if it does not objectively improve their tinnitus symptoms.
zinc supplement
Zinc, an essential mineral, helps nerve signals, including those related to hearing, reach the brain. Some studies suggest that zinc deficiency may interfere with auditory signals and contribute to tinnitus, but there is debate in the scientific community as to whether this is true.
A 2016 Cochrane review found no evidence of efficacy based on three randomized controlled studies involving 209 people with tinnitus. None of the studies reported significant changes in tinnitus loudness after zinc supplementation.
A 2015 study reported that 100 older adults with tinnitus had lower zinc levels. The study’s results were limited because zinc deficiency is common in the United States, affecting 35% to 45% of older adults.
In a 2019 study, 20 patients with tinnitus and noise-induced hearing loss were treated with zinc supplements for two months. They were compared with 20 patients without tinnitus. At the end of the study, approximately 85% of tinnitus patients reported improvement, but there was no objective change in hearing tests.
Some research suggests that zinc supplements may help improve tinnitus in a small number of people. However, the quality of the evidence is not as strong.
meditation and relaxation
Some people who suffer from tinnitus find that techniques such as mindfulness meditation and relaxation can help manage their symptoms.
A 2017 study looked at 86 people with tinnitus to see if mindfulness meditation and relaxation therapy helped treat their tinnitus. Although this was a small study, participants in both groups reported finding these techniques helpful. However, more people in the meditation group reported feeling helped by their meditation practice compared to the relaxation group.
A 2019 study found that meditation may help people suffering from tinnitus by reducing anxiety and improving coping skills. This effect appeared to be similar to how cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can reduce tinnitus-related distress.
carrot
Ginseng is a popular herb in alternative and complementary medicine. Some research has investigated whether Korean red ginseng is effective for tinnitus symptoms.
For example, a 2015 study of 61 tinnitus patients compared Korean red ginseng and ginkgo biloba extract. After four weeks of treatment, patients who took Korean red ginseng reported improvements in tinnitus symptom scores and mental health.
However, a review of research on alternative treatments for tinnitus, including Korean red ginseng, found that most studies were small and limited, so further research is needed to prove the benefits and assess possible risks. points out.
yoga
Yoga is a stress-reducing practice that is being studied as a treatment for tinnitus.
For example, in a small study, 12 people with tinnitus took a yoga class once a week and practiced yoga at home for three months. At the end of the study, participants noted their stress levels decreased and their scores on indicators of how their tinnitus symptoms, which were negatively impacting their lives, improved.
Another small study conducted in 2019 had 25 tinnitus patients take a 12-week yoga course. Some patients in the group underwent brain MRI scans before and after yoga training. At the end of the study, participants reported improved sleep, quality of life, and a sense of “control” over their tinnitus symptoms. When researchers looked at brain scans, they noticed that there may be changes in brain connectivity when comparing “before” and “after” yoga training.
A 2021 research review concludes that yoga and other techniques utilizing meditation may help tinnitus sufferers by reducing stress, anxiety, and irritation associated with tinnitus symptoms. However, the authors noted that more controlled studies are needed to assess how effective yoga actually is for tinnitus patients.
biofeedback
Biofeedback is a technique for learning to control bodily functions that normally occur automatically, such as heart rate and breathing. Biofeedback is often used to treat tension-type headaches and insomnia, or to reduce a person’s response to chronic pain.
Unlike other alternative treatments, biofeedback is not intended to alleviate tinnitus symptoms. Instead, it is used to reduce tinnitus-related distress. By doing so, a person can learn how to cope with tinnitus and improve their quality of life.
A specific type of biofeedback called neurofeedback is being studied as a treatment for tinnitus. A 2017 research review concluded: Neurofeedback “may be a promising method” for some types of tinnitus, but more research is needed.
In 2023, researchers looked at using neurofeedback to help tinnitus patients, but the results were mixed and, like similar studies before that, they found there wasn’t enough evidence to prove it was effective. Understood.
summary
There is no cure for tinnitus, and available medical treatments do not work for everyone with this condition. While some natural treatments for tinnitus may be effective, experts believe that complementary and alternative tinnitus treatments require high-quality research to prove they are safe and effective. He says that not enough research has been done.
