Drug-free approaches to CONQUERING tinnitus include meditation and MORE
Is it possible to THINK AWAY that high-pitched ringing sound in your ears?
It used to be that the only folks who ever developed tinnitus were factory workers and others exposed regularly to LOUD machinery…
And rock and rollers.
If you didn’t work on the railroad… a construction site… or in a mine…
And if you didn’t play the electric guitar and have an amp BLASTING in your ears all the time…
You might be able to ESCAPE the ringing… buzzing… clicking… and popping that could drive you to DRINK.
That all changed with the pandemic…
When MORE folks started experiencing those high-pitched sounds… either after getting infected with COVID-19…
Or getting vaccinated against the coronavirus.
And some folks who were ALREADY struggling with tinnitus found their condition GETTING WORSE during the pandemic!
If it happens to you… and you complain about it to a conventional doc… he might prescribe anti-anxiety meds to try to EASE the symptoms…
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But those drugs can be ADDICTIVE… and DANGEROUS.
Most of all… they could be UNNECESSARY!
Because a recently-published clinical trial shows the effectiveness of non-drug treatments on helping QUIET tinnitus.
I’m talking about alternative therapies like…
- sound therapy
- cognitive behavioral therapy
- mindfulness, and
- meditation.
Now, I’ve been EXTOLLING the virtues of meditation for some time now. I’ve seen it help DISSIPATE pain… RELIEVE anxiety… and even BOOST brain activity.
Exactly HOW meditation works is still somewhat of a mystery to us…
But the way I see it, the proof is in the pudding!
And if it works… and it’s got ZERO risk of side effects… I don’t feel the need to get too hung up on the whys and wherefores.
Now, the scientists behind this latest study weren’t 100% objective in their research… because it’s all part of an attempt to show the benefits of an app called MindEar.
But nonetheless, their results were pretty impressive.
After four months, nearly two-thirds of the study subjects saw a significant improvement in their symptoms.
Problem is, it was a pretty small group of participants.
The theory behind the app is based on the principle that stress and anxiety can not only cause… but also EXACERBATE… tinnitus symptoms.
And that making those feelings LESS INTENSE could help MUTE the “phantom sounds” of tinnitus.
To me, this is good news…
But it’s only a PART of the story.
Mind-body therapies like these could also help EASE the depression and anxiety that tinnitus can CAUSE…
And they can also help promote restful sleep… which is a GODSEND when the noise inside your ears is keeping you up at night.
If you think you have tinnitus, it’s important to get your ears checked out by a specialist… like an ENT, a neurotologist, or an audiologist… to see what kind of PHYSICAL damage might be going on in your inner ear.
I also wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t note that tinnitus is a possible symptom of a deficiency – namely, vitamin B12 and/or magnesium.
In some cases, REPLENISHING your supply of the missing nutrients could IMPROVE or even RESOLVE tinnitus.
I should also note that you don’t necessarily need to download an app to help you practice mindfulness or meditate. There are many books on the subject… and many resources online, including free YouTube videos, that could help you find the right path for you.
For better health,
Dr. Marc S. Micozzi, M.D., Ph.D.