Medications for Tinnitus
For some, treatment with low doses of anti-anxiety drugs -- such as Valium or antidepressants such as Elavil -- help reduce tinnitus. The use of a steroid placed into the middle ear along with an anti-anxiety medicine called alprazolam has been shown to be effective for some people.
If tinnitus is especially noticeable in quiet settings, try using a white noise machine to mask the noise from tinnitus. If you don't have a white noise machine, a fan, soft music or low-volume radio static also may help. Limit alcohol, caffeine and nicotine.
While it has no clear cure or cause, it affects millions of people in the world on some level and can be challenging to cope with. Thankfully, it's entirely possible to live a normal life even with tinnitus.
Common antidepressant drugs used in relation to tinnitus include: Clomipramine (Anafranil) Desipramine (Norpramin) Imipramine (Tofranil)
No medications have been FDA approved for the treatment of tinnitus.
Never let any condition go untreated: even something as simple as an ear infection may lead to serious tinnitus and hearing problems. Untreated tinnitus can be incredibly dangerous to your overall wellbeing. Left without treatment, tinnitus can lead to depression, anxiety and social isolation.
Our findings showed that pre-existing tinnitus was associated with a 68% increased risk of developing early-onset dementia among young and middle-aged adults. The results call for greater awareness of tinnitus as a potential harbinger of future dementia in this population.
Many studies have reported that poor cognitive performance was associated with tinnitus. However, unlike hearing loss, which has been reported to be an independent risk factor for dementia, the link between tinnitus and cognitive impairment remains unclear [1].
When we are stressed for long periods of time, we can become imbalanced or out of equilibrium causing our tinnitus to seem louder on some days more than others. Typical stressful situations might include life-changing events like a bereavement or losing a job.
More research is needed to understand the link between antihistamines and tinnitus. Antihistamines can help reduce tinnitus if the tinnitus is caused by allergy symptoms. If you develop tinnitus symptoms and are taking antihistamines, it is important to consult a doctor.
Sound therapy treatment is done using tinnitus maskers and sound machines. You're able to listen to sounds such as white noise (different frequencies of sound played at once), pink noise (a milder version of white noise), natural water sounds, crickets, and other soothing sounds.
Evidence suggests that tinnitus is caused by changes in neural networks in the brain, so many research efforts are aimed at testing the benefit of magnetic or electrical stimulation of the brain.
New research suggests that tinnitus (ringing in the ears) may be an early warning sign for both Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease.
See an audiologist if it persists more than two weeks
Most temporary tinnitus cases will last for two weeks, so if your symptoms last longer than that and things aren't getting better, it makes sense to take action.
What does the research say? Serum magnesium levels are lower in people with tinnitus than the general population[3]. Increased susceptibility to noise damage, ototoxicity and auditory hyperexcitability have also been linked to magnesium deficiency[4].
Traffic, loud music, construction – all of these can worsen tinnitus. Be sure to wear earplugs or another type of ear protection in order to prevent noise from making your tinnitus worse. Many medications are ototoxic, meaning they cause temporary (or, in some cases, permanent) damage to your hearing.
May 19, 2023 — Professor Hubert Lim is part of an international team that has developed a new device that could help millions of people worldwide with tinnitus. The non-invasive device, called Lenire, is now available in the U.S.