Tinnitus treatment options

• Transdermal Magnesium.   Deals with magnesium / hormone DHEA hormone deficiency, which can be involved in tinnitus.  
  • Noise exposure causes magnesium to be excreted from the body and significantly reduces magnesium levels in the inner ear fluid.  Mocci et al,  2001.
  • A 1994 study of 300 male military recruits undergoing 2 months basic training found that 167 mg daily magnesium relieved tinnitus symptoms, when the recruits were repeatedly exposed to high levels of impulse noises. In comparison, the group receiving the placebo after exposure suffered permanent hearing loss more severely and more frequently.   Attias J et al, 1994.
  •  The journal Free Radical Biology and Medicine.   Reported that a combination of both antioxidant vitamins (A,C and E) and magnesium may help prevent noise-induced hearing loss. after tests with guinea pigs exposed to 5 hours of decibels similar to jet engine take-off noise. Magnesium and vitamin A, C and E were given separately and together one hour before and 5 days after exposure. The combination group had significantly less hearing loss and sensory cell death compared to the placebo or the just magnesium or antioxidant groups.  Le Prell et al, 2007
• MELATONIN - Supplementation Benefits
• Ozone Therapy(Ear insufflation);
• White noise / Cover up noise;
• Reduce stress;
• Microcurrent electrical therapy (MET) and Cranialelectrotherapy Stimulation (CES) may be helpful
  • Small study Conclusions:  Microcurrent electrical therapy (MET) at sequential auricle sites appears to provide a method of reorganizing and re-establishing neural homeostasis at the intercept of the involved somatic and auditory pathways of somatosensory tinnitus. While neurofeedback has shown some possibility of tinnitus interruption, and CES has also demonstrated limited success, the specificity of MET at particular auricle sites seems to show the most promise and the most efficiency. Results of this clinical case series suggests that the somatosensory subgroup of tinnitus sufferers respond better to these neuromodulation treatments than other tinnitus subgroups. This somatosensory subgroup is characterized by nonbilateral tinnitus pitch, pitch that may fluctuate in tone/intensity, and EMG modulation of pitch. Further, both CES and MET appeared to reduce symptoms for postcraniotomy ("clicking"or "wooshing"sounds) and/or TBI-induced tinnitus. Even though this study was limited by such a small number of participants, the somatosensory subgroup responded to the MET treatment in single sessions, indicating that it, as well as CES, are promising treatments for tinnitus that warrant further exploration. Johnson, 2016
  • CES Therapy.   Other studies using CES to treat tinnitusJohnson et al, 2010; Johnson et al, 2016.   One study used CES at 13 sites around the ear for a total of 15-20 mins. 20 people perceived an improvement in their tinnitus (in 27 of 33 ears considered to have tinnitus); Improvement lasted 20 minutes to 6 months (end of study) Engleberg, 1985

References

Attias J, Weisa G, Almog S, et al. Oral Magnesium Intake Reduced Permanent Hearing Loss Induced by Noise Exposure. Am J Otolaryngology 1994; 15-26-32.

Engelberg, M, et. al. (1985) Transcutaneous electrical stimulation for tinnitus. Laryngoscope, 95(10):1,167-1,173. Presented at the Meeting of the Southern Section of the American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, New Orleans, Louisiana, January, 1985. pdf

Johnson M, Bodenhamer-Davis E, Bailey L. (2010) Neurofeedback, cranial electrotherapy stimulation and microcurrent electrical stimulation to treat tinnitus: a case series.

Johnson M (2016) Poster presented at Helping the Brain Help Us, the 18th Annual meeting of the International Society for Neurotherapy and Research, Denver, Colorado, September 29-October 3, 2010. pdf

Le Prell CG, Hughes LF, Miller JM. Free radical scavengers vitamins A, C, and E plus magnesium reduce noise trauma. Free Radic Biol Med. 2007; 42(9):1454-1463

Mark L. Johnson, Eugenia Bodenhamer-Davis, and Michael S. Gates. (2016) Neuromodulation Methods to Suppress Tinnitus in Somatosensory Subtypes: A Case Series. Neuroregulation, Vol. 3(4):150-161. pdf

Mocci F, Canalis P, Tomasi PA, Casu F, Pettinato S. (2001) The effect of noise on serum and urinary magnesium and catecholamines in humans. PubMed