Saturday, August 24, 2013

Tinnitus: Inexpensive Masking

If your tinnitus is so loud that you require hearing aids with maskers but you can't afford them then the next best thing would be to purchase some noise canceling headphones like the ones that Bose has just announced. Plug it into your iPhone or iPod and select a masking app that masks your tinnitus. You can find pink and white noise apps on iTunes. Before you do this you should seek the advice of an audiologist who can help you to adjust the volume level of the masker so that you don't make your tinnitus worse. If you are suffering from hyperacusis as well as tinnitus then a masker may not be an option for you. The masker may be amplified by the hyperacusis which could make your tinnitus worse.

If you can afford them, hearing aids with maskers are a better option because the masking will be specific to your unique tinnitus and fitted by the audiologist specifically for you.

I have no affiliation with any of the companies that produce these products and do not benefit financially from informing you about this option.

More information:

Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Tinnitus: Magnesium

Magnesium is one of the herbal treatments that tinnitus treatment providers allow their patients to try. It has no known side effects and doesn't seem to worsen the tinnitus and so it is typically allowable. The idea is that magnesium is essential in maintaining healthy cilia cells inside of the cochlea.

Some people claim that magnesium cured their tinnitus. If cilia cells are destroyed, they are non-regenerative and therefore will not grow back no matter how much magnesium is being consumed. An analogy would be to think of oneself pouring fertilizer on a dead tree stump and claiming that the tree came back to life. That would be a miracle. This analogy is applicable to people whose cilia cells have been amputated by sudden loud noise. The microscopic fallen trees will not grow back. 

There are people who suffer from acute tinnitus, who have not had an amputation of the cilia cells but instead have damaged cilia cells that may repair over time. Here's where magnesium might help. As an analogy, think of a thirsty tree that is bent. Adding fertilizer may help to reduce the time it takes for those damaged cilia cells to repair. That is the idea behind adding magnesium. 

People who have amputated cilia cells, whose tinnitus is getting worse over time, may want to try magnesium to strengthen the undamaged cilia cells as a preventative measure to slow or stop the progression. There's no way to determine the efficacy of adding magnesium to one's diet. 

I started on a daily liquid vitamin called Max Effect that has 25mg of magnesium in the hopes of preventing my tinnitus from getting any louder. As it stands, the tinnitus is barely tolerable. I can't imagine it getting any louder. So, I'm trying to strengthen the remaining cells. There is no way that I'll be able to tell whether it is working. I'm not endorsing Max Effect. But, I am raising awareness of the product as a possible source of magnesium. Consult your doctor before you try any treatment.