Supplements For Tinnitus Treatment

Tinnitus, or ringing in the ears, is common, affecting approximately 20 percent of the population, according to MayoClinic.com. Tinnitus is poorly understood, but it's usually secondary to an underlying problem, such as age-related hearing loss, circulatory system disorder, infection, or head or ear injury, or it can be a side effect of particular prescription medications. Certain supplements may be helpful for tinnitus, when they're part of a well-rounded treatment plan that addresses tinnitus's fundamental cause. Before taking supplements to treat tinnitus, consult a qualified health care professional for appropriate diagnosis and considerations of dosage and safety.

Ginkgo

Ginkgo biloba is a deciduous tree with fan-shaped leaves that can live up to 1,000 years. Extracts from ginkgo leaves are used medicinally throughout Europe and the United States to treat a variety of health ailments, including circulatory disorders, depression and diseases of the nervous system. Key therapeutic values of ginkgo, according to Dr. Michael Murray, a naturopathic physician and author of "The Healing Power of Herbs," are for cerebral vascular insufficiency or compromised blood flow to the brain, vascular fragility, nerve tissue ailments, and inner ear dysfunction such as vertigo and tinnitus. In other words, ginkgo may help treat tinnitus when it's the result of insufficient circulation to the brain or impaired nervous system function. Murray attributes ginkgo's therapeutic effects to its active constituents, ginkgo-specific glycosides and terpenoids. Ginkgo is available as a tea, liquid extract, capsule and tablet. You should only take ginkgo supplements, however, after talking to your doctor.

Vitamin B12

B vitamins, especially vitamin B12, may be helpful in treating tinnitus. A 1993 study printed in the "American Journal of Otolaryngology" reports that people with noise-induced hearing loss and tinnitus tend to be deficient in vitamin B12. Vitamin B12 replacement therapy seems to diminish tinnitus and associated complaints. The therapeutic effects of vitamin B12 for tinnitus are seen with intramuscular injections, which are available by prescription. Oral supplementation has not been studied. B12 deficiency most commonly results from the inability to properly absorb it through the gastrointestinal tract, as seen in pernicious anemia or gastritis -- inflammation of the stomach. Vitamin B12 may also be helpful for tinnitus that results from nerve damage, as B12 plays a role in nervous tissue health. Vitamin B12 can be injected or supplemented orally, and dietary sources include seafoods like clams, muscles and crabs as well as meats, eggs and cheese.

Homeopathics

Homeopathy is a system of medicine that uses diluted doses of plant, animal and mineral sources to treat illness. Unlike conventional forms of medicine, a homeopathic prescription is not based on a person's disease, but rather on the individual's unique experience of it. Therefore, each individual experiencing tinnitus may obtain relief from a different remedy. Homeopathic remedies commonly prescribed for tinnitus, as described by Dr. Lidia Tomulet, a naturopathic physician and homeopath in Durham, N.C., include cimicifuga, cinchona, ledum, salicylicum and sulphur. Homeopathy is a complex medical art, but with analysis, a skilled homeopath can select an appropriate remedy based on a patient's unique symptoms, mental status and general tendencies.