Tinnitus is a symptom of auditory dysfunction that occurs when the body’s auditory organs hallucinate sound or fictitious sounds, such as buzzing, cicada chirping, or sounds that seem to be like bells, insects, birds, running water, wind, etc. There are many causes of tinnitus, such as noise, viruses, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and high insulin levels, etc. Although most doctors do not use nutrients to treat tinnitus, they can be helpful for tinnitus patients.
Vitamin B12 protects the ear nerve
Vitamin B12 plays a very specific role when it comes to nerve problems. The body needs this nutrient in order to make myelin. Myelin is a fatty sheath that wraps around the outside of nerve fibers, keeping them isolated from the outside and performing the function of transmitting nerve impulses properly. Vitamin B12 deficiency increases homocysteine levels in the blood and can cause a variety of neurological dysfunctions, including memory loss, slowed reflexes, decreased tactile or pain perception, and of course, tinnitus and noise-induced hearing loss.
Most people get adequate amounts of vitamin B12 from their daily diet, but malabsorption can still leave some people with deficiencies, which are especially prevalent in the elderly. Strict vegetarians are also often deficient because they do not eat meat, eggs, or dairy products, and vitamin B12 is only found in animal foods.
Daily requirement of vitamin B12 is 6 micrograms
Best food sources: clams, ham, cooked oysters, horseshoe crabs, herring, salmon, tuna.
Antioxidants – protect the ear from damage
Tinnitus is sometimes caused by a decrease in the ear’s ability to supply blood. Whether the micro-arterial vessels entering the inner ear are clogged with cholesterol, or a loud noise causes the arterial vessels to spasm and reduce the blood supply to the inner ear, a sudden interruption in the blood supply can lead to hearing problems. This is where antioxidant nutrients (including vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene and other nutrients) come into play. Antioxidants help with arterial vasodilation and prevent the formation of plaque.
Otologists recommend a daily mix of nutrients with antioxidant effects, which can include: 400 IU of vitamin E, 250 mg of vitamin C (twice daily), 50 to 200 mcg of selenium and approximately 50,000 IU of beta-carotene (twice daily).
Magnesium protects the delicate ear
Animal experiments have shown that experimental animals with a lack of magnesium in their bodies suffer more severe damage to nerve cells in the cochlea after being affected by noise than animals raised on magnesium-rich foods. Low magnesium levels, combined with exposure to noise pollution, can deplete the energy stored in the cells, leading to the exhaustion, damage and eventual death of inner ear cells.
Experts believe that even young people who are healthy and have normal hearing would benefit from some magnesium supplementation for their ears. If you are in a noise-filled environment, you should ensure that your daily intake of magnesium meets the daily requirement (400 mg). Most people fall short of this requirement, with the average daily intake for men being about 329 mg and the average daily intake for women being 207 mg. Green vegetables, whole grains, nuts and legumes are all magnesium-rich foods.
If tinnitus is accompanied by congestion in the ears and balance problems, experts recommend that calcium and potassium intake must also be adequate. These concomitant symptoms may also indicate Meniere’s disease.
Daily requirement of magnesium: 400 mg
Best food sources: brown rice, avocados, spinach, cod, oatmeal, baked potatoes, navy beans, lima beans, broccoli, yogurt, bananas.
Zinc maintains normal cochlear function
Some parts of the body have higher concentrations of certain vitamins or minerals than others, and this is the case with the inner ear. The concentration of zinc in the inner ear is very high, a finding that has led some doctors to speculate that zinc deficiency may be one of the causes of inner ear disorders, including tinnitus. Experts say that zinc is indispensable to maintain proper cochlear function. Hearing loss is great in animals raised on foods low in zinc. Moreover, it is quite obvious that a slight deficiency of zinc is common among the elderly, which can likewise exacerbate the tendency of hearing loss caused by noise or aging.
Twenty-five percent of patients with severe tinnitus are caused by zinc deficiency. Some also suffer from loss of appetite, hair loss, decreased taste and smell acuity and skin disorders, all of which are associated with zinc deficiency. He recommends zinc supplementation for these patients, along with a strong multivitamin/mineral supplement to increase intake of other nutrients.
Note: Zinc also interferes with the body’s absorption of copper, and if large amounts of zinc are consumed, some copper supplementation will be required.
Daily requirement of zinc: 15 mg
Best food sources: cooked oysters, beef, lamb, eggs, whole grains, nuts, yogurt.
Vitamin A helps improve hearing
Like zinc, vitamin A is found in high concentrations in the cochlea. All special receptor cells, including the retina in the eye and the hair cells in the inner ear, need vitamin A and zinc to maintain their proper function, Dr. Sambov said. Studies have found that low levels of vitamin A in the blood can cause hearing loss, and in some studies, 24 to 74 percent of tinnitus patients who took vitamin A supplements reported at least partial relief of tinnitus symptoms. Experts recommend that patients take beta-carotene, which is converted into vitamin A in the body, and take 30 mg (equal to about 50,000 international units) of beta-carotene twice a day each.
Daily requirement of vitamin A: 5,000 international units
Best food sources: carrot juice, pumpkin, sweet potato, carrots, spinach, gray pecan juice, tuna, young dandelion leaves, cantaloupe, mango, turnips, beets.
Daily maintenance
Listen to soft music, maintain a relaxed and happy attitude towards life, eat according to the seasons and pay attention to gastrointestinal health care; you can use moxa strips to moxibustion to replenish Qi (moxibustion of the back of the corresponding point of the navel, that is, the vital gate point, kidney point and the Dantian, that is, Guan Yuan point). Take sleeping pills as little as possible so that the blood does not become acidic resulting in poor qi flow. To improve blood circulation in the ear, saturated fat and cholinesterol should be reduced in the diet. Take appropriate amounts of vitamin B12 and vitamin A. Quit smoking, alcohol and caffeine, which can aggravate tinnitus. Use less salt in your diet, as salt can aggravate tinnitus by causing fluid to collect in the ear. Avoid taking too much aspirin, as it can make tinnitus worse. Avoid loud noises as they can aggravate your existing tinnitus.