What treatments are recommended to help with tinnitus? I noticed a subtle ringing in my ears about ten years ago, but it has become much more bothersome since I turned 60.

Tinnitus is one of the most common health conditions in the country. According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), around 25 million Americans, experience tinnitus in some form.

For most people tinnitus is just an annoyance. However roughly five million people struggle with chronic tinnitus and two million people find it debilitating. While there is no cure, there is a range of strategies you can use to reduce the symptoms to make tinnitus less bothersome. Here is what you should know. 

What is Tinnitus?                                                

Tinnitus (pronounced TIN-uh-tus or tih-NITE-us) is the sensation of hearing a ringing, buzzing, roaring, hissing or whistling sound in one or both ears when no external sound is present. These sounds can vary in pitch and loudness and are usually worse when background noise is low, so you may be more aware of it at night when you are trying to fall asleep in a quiet room.

Tinnitus itself is not a disease, but rather a symptom of some other underlying health condition. The best way to find out what is causing your tinnitus is to see an audiologist or an otolaryngologist, a doctor who specializes in ear, nose and throat (ENT) diseases. The various things that can cause tinnitus include:

• Hearing loss, which is the most common factor.
• Middle ear obstructions, usually caused by a build-up of earwax deep in the ear canal.

• Side effects of different prescription and over-the-counter medicines like aspirin, ibuprofen, certain blood pressure medicines and diuretics, some antidepressants, cancer medicines and antibiotics.
• Various medical conditions such as high blood pressure, vascular disease, diabetes, allergies, thyroid problems, ear or sinus infections, Meniere’s disease, Lyme disease, fibromyalgia, otosclerosis, temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder, a tumor, an injury to the head or neck, traumatic brain injury, depression and stress.

Treatment Strategies

There are several ways to treat tinnitus depending on the cause. For example, if your tinnitus is caused by a wax build-up in your ears or a medical condition like high blood pressure or a thyroid problem, treating the medical condition may help reduce or eliminate the noise.

Alternatively, if you are taking any medications that may be causing the problem, switching to a different drug or adjusting the dosage may provide some relief. Talk with your healthcare provider to determine the best option for you. If you have hearing loss, a hearing aid can help mask your tinnitus by improving your ability to hear actual sounds.

Another strategy that can help suppress or mask the sound to make it less bothersome is “sound therapy.” This can be as simple as a fan or white noise machine, or you can use sound therapy apps to produce the ambient sound.

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and psychological counseling can also be helpful, as can tinnitus retraining therapy (TRT). TRT combines counseling and sound therapy to train your brain to ignore the sound in your ears. There are also new innovations like FDA-approved devices that use electrical stimulations of the tongue to alleviate symptoms.

Certain medications may also help. While there are no drugs that are specifically FDA approved to treat tinnitus, some antianxiety drugs and antidepressants have been effective in relieving tinnitus symptoms. Your audiologist or ears, nose and throat (ENT) doctor can help you determine the best treatment options. 

Other strategies you can do to help quiet the noise are to avoid things that can aggravate the problem like fatty foods, salt, artificial sweeteners, sugar, alcohol, tonic water, tobacco and caffeine. Be sure to drink plenty of water as dehydration can sometimes worsen symptoms. While it is important for everyone to protect themselves from loud noises by wearing earplugs, blocking outside noises may cause your tinnitus to seem louder.

Savvy Living is written by Jim Miller, a regular contributor to the NBC Today Show and author of "The Savvy Living” book. Any links in this article are offered as a service and there is no endorsement of any product. These articles are offered as a helpful and informative service to our friends and may not always reflect this organization’s official position on some topics. Jim invites you to send your senior questions to: Savvy Living, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070.