How to Cure Tinitus

There is no cure for tinnitus, which is ringing in the ears caused by loud noises. However, many people are able to live successfully with tinnitus over time. There are various strategies that might work depending on the person. The treatment of tinnitus involves either improved hearing or extra background noises, both of which mask the ringing from tinnitus.

Things You'll Need

• Radio or other device that can make background noise
• Cochlear implant to improve hearing

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Instructions

• 1

  Protect hearing at all costs. If hearing ability declines, the tinnitus will get worse by becoming louder than outside noises. Carry earplugs at all times and use them when necessary to protect your hearing.

• 2

  Do not get into any situation where there is no background noise. Always have a TV or radio on at very low volume or turn on a fan. If the tinnitus is mixed with background noise, the brain can be trained to ignore the tinnitus.

• 3

  If hearing can be improved with a cochlear implant, install it. The extra sounds from improved hearing helps mask the tinnitus ringing.

• 4

  Avoid drugs that may cause tinnitus. A list of drugs that cause tinnitus is available from the Physician's Desk Reference at PDR.net.

• 5

  After masking sounds for a while, try turning off the masking noise to determine if the tinnitus is diminished or gone temporarily. The relief usually lasts a few days before masking is needed again.