Dear Health Conscious Reader,
Patients who come to me with unwanted noise filling their head non-stop are among the most frustrated. You can’t sleep. You can’t read. It’s tough to concentrate on anything.
When I went to medical school, like all beginning doctors, I had to learn a new language. We doctors have different words for everything. So we don’t call it “ringing in your ears.” We call it tinnitus.
Problem is, all those fancy new words aside, doctors just don’t seem to be able to do a darn thing to fix the problem.
Most doctors say you’ll get used to it eventually. That you just have to live with it. Some even blame you for causing it – all those years listening to music too loudly or working near noisy machinery.
But there are other causes of tinnitus. Taking antibiotics, having chronic ear infections, even food allergies cause the disorder.
And you can make the ringing stop. While some doctors will put you on anti-depressants or tranquilizers to help numb your mind, I’ve found some natural remedies can make tinnitus disappear.
Ginkgo biloba. Over 40 clinical studies show that ginkgo eases tinnitus. For example, a German study of tinnitus sufferers shows that ginkgo reduces ringing.1 Another review of studies says taking ginkgo for one to three months has a significantly greater reduction and speedier relief.2
Even Germany’s Commission E, which regulates supplements, officially endorses ginkgo as a treatment for tinnitus. I recommend 80 mg three times a day.
Vinpocetine. If loud noises caused your tinnitus, vinpocetine may be the answer. In one study, tinnitus disappeared in half of those who took it within one week of trauma.
Even if you don’t take it right away, it can lessen the severity. Regardless of the time lapse since the trauma, 66 percent had a significant decrease.3 I recommend 20 mg a day.
CoQ10. A British study found that tinnitus sufferers with low levels of CoQ10 benefited significantly from CoQ10 supplements.4
Get your blood levels checked. If your CoQ10 levels are below 3 to 4 mcg/ml, you’ll want to take a supplement. I recommend 50 mg of the ubiquinol form of CoQ10. The ubiquinol form is 8 times more powerful than regular CoQ10. It’s more absorbable so it keeps your blood levels high.
As I mentioned, food allergies can sometimes cause tinnitus. You can take a test to find out which foods your body can’t tolerate. It’s called the ALCAT Test. It’s a simple blood test. And you get an easy-to-read report telling you which foods to avoid. By eliminating certain foods, you may be able to cure your tinnitus. Ask your doctor about it.
Plus, there’s another great resource you should use. I’ve been on the panel of experts at the Health Sciences Institute for many years. They’ve put together one of the most comprehensive books I’ve seen on the subject. It’s filled with solutions your doctor doesn’t know about. You can learn more about how to handle your tinnitus including:
- Foods that cause – and cure – tinnitus
- Which common drugs have tinnitus as a side effect
- What diseases could contribute to tinnitus
- How yoga breathing exercises may bring relief
- Massage techniques that can provide comfort
- The most effective treatments you can use
- And much more.
The book contains a wealth of information that can help you. I suggest you check out this special offer now.
To Your Good Health,
Al Sears, MD
- Morgenstern C. et al., The efficacy of Ginkgo special extract EGb 761 in patients with tinnitus. Int J Clin Pharmacol Ther. 2002 May; 40(5): 188-97.
- Ernst and Stevinson. “Ginkgo biloba for tinnitus: a review,” Clinical Otolaryngology & Allied Sciences Volume 24 Issue 3 Page 164 – June 1999.
- Konopka W, Zalewski P, Olszewski J, Olszewska-Ziaber A, Pietkiewicz P. Treatment results of acoustic trauma. Otolaryngol Pol. 1997;51 Suppl 25:281-4.
- Khan M. et al. “A pilot clinical trial of the effectiveness of coenzyme Q10 on chronic tinnitus aurium,” Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. Jan 2007; 136(1):72-7.