Micronutrient therapy
| Definition | |
| Tinnitus aurium" (lat. tinnire "ringing", auris "ear"), colloquially also called tinnitus, refers to noises in the ear which are not due to an external sound source. Depending on the subjective perception of the person concerned, these are perceived as hissing, hissing, buzzing, ringing, humming, howling or whistling. These ear noises are not a disease per se, but a symptom. For example, tinnitus can also occur as a normal physiological phenomenon in cases of anxiety. Similar to pain, tinnitus is often a warning signal for a disease, malfunction or overload in the ear. Depending on the classification between acute or chronic tinnitus, different forms of therapies are available. Even the chronic form can often be significantly improved or eliminated. According to estimates, up to one million Austrians suffer from ear noise at least once in their lives, sometimes only temporarily, but sometimes for a lifetime. |
| Symptoms | |
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Tinnitus manifests itself in tones and noises of varying intensity and frequencies, which can change and pulsate, either in one or both ears or in the entire head area. The ear noise can either occur as acute tinnitus only for a short time or persist as chronic tinnitus for months or years. In acute form the ear noise subsides within hours, in the chronic form of tinnitus the ear noise persists for a longer period of time regardless of the cause. Depending on subjective perception and psychological condition, the effects of ear noise vary. At the beginning of the disease, many sufferers perceive tinnitus as more stressful and louder than after a certain period of habituation. Compensated tinnitus is when the affected person copes with the noise pollution. However, if this does not succeed and the tinnitus remains unbearable for the affected person, this is referred to as decompensated or complex tinnitus. This can subsequently be associated with depression, anxiety and stress, sleep and concentration disorders, listlessness, social isolation and effects on private and professional life. Furthermore, a distinction is made between the rare objective tinnitus, in which an internal sound source is present, and the subjective tinnitus, which can only be heard by the affected person themselves. |
| Causes | |
| The causes of a tinnitus are described as complex and varied and include noise damage or blast trauma, sudden loss of hearing, damage to the inner ear, diseases of the cervical spine, malposition of the jaw area, hearing loss or Meniere’s disease (dizziness). Furthermore, stress or problems on an emotional level as well as numerous other triggers can also contribute to its development. Due to its widespread prevalence in industrial nations, noise, including blast trauma, is the most frequent cause of tinnitus. However, tinnitus also frequently occurs in combination with hearing loss, otosclerosis (disease of the inner ear), idiopathic hearing loss (acute unilateral hearing loss) and craniocerebral trauma. In addition, degenerative changes of the cervical spine as well as teeth grinding and disorders of the temporomandibular joint can cause various types of unilateral tinnitus. Tinnitus is also mentioned as a side effect on package inserts of some medications (e.g. antidepressants, salicylates, tuberculostats etc.), but is usually reversible and dose-dependent, unless it is an aminoglycoside with which permanent damage is possible. In about 45 % of the cases, however, patients have idioplastic tinnitus in which no clear cause can be determined. |
| Therapy | |
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In the therapy of tinnitus, thorough medical examination and rapid action by the treating physician are decisive for the course of the disease. Acute tinnitus usually disappears in about 70–80 % of cases due to medical treatment of the respective cause or disappears on its own. Depending on the diagnosis, measures such as systematic high-dose cortisone therapy in the form of short infusions, tablets or intratympanic steroid treatment are used in acute treatment. In addition, there are various possibilities available to the affected person to make the chronic tinnitus bearable. Medical treatments include tinnitus retraining therapy (the use of a small device in the ear to produce a counter-noise, which makes the tinnitus less noticeable), hearing aid fitting, and therapy in specialized clinics and centers. In addition, relaxation exercises, stress management strategies, music and sound therapy, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) as well as self-help groups can complement the treatment in a meaningful way. If anxiety disorder or depression is present at the same time, psychotherapy may be suitable. The aim of the therapy is to learn to ignore tinnitus with patience. Many of those affected succeed in doing so within the first year. |
| Relevant micronutrients | |
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The use of Ginkgo biloba shows promising results in tinnitus. The underlying pharmacological effect is the improvement of microcirculation in peripheral tissues, which may positively influence tinnitus intensity, hearing loss and subjective assessment of disease in patients. Vitamin B12-deficiency may affect the vascular and nervous system of the hearing apparatus and has been associated with hearing loss and tinnitus. Preliminary tests of vitamin B12 for the treatment of tinnitus indicate that vitamin B12 may lead to an improvement in symptoms. The hormone melatonin is a metabolite of tryptophan metabolism and controls the sleep-wake rhythm of the human body. With its antioxidant properties and its positive effect on sleep problems, melatonin could be a promising treatment option for sleep disorders caused by tinnitus. Studies have shown that a decreased serum magnesiumlevel can be associated with tinnitus, which in turn is the pathophysiology of subjective tinnitus. Some study results suggest that magnesium supplements improve ear function, which in turn could have a positive effect on the perception of tinnitus. |