Tinnitus responds to medical support hypnosis, autogenic training, regulating the nervous system, and nutritional approaches
What Causes Tinnitus
The most common cause of tinnitus is debatable, some attribute it to damage to the ear, others to brain cells over-firing.
The condition results from repeated firing of auditory neural pathways in the brain.
Tinnitus may begin from any point along the auditory system.
Causes and Types of Tinnitus:
Cilia Damage – these are hair like sensory cells that receive sound in the inner ear. If they are bent over or touching each other it creates sort of a short circuit, resulting in tinnitus.
Congestion in the ear – the condition occurs when the fluid pressure in the inner ear is disturbed resulting to head noise. The reason may range from infection, allergy or circulatory disturbances, which causes changes not only in the fluid but also in the encasing membranes of the inner ear.
Hyperactive Brain Cells – constant firing of neurons in the auditory processing sections of the brain when they should not be.
Acoustic Neuroma – a kind of tumor that affects the auditory nerve.
Other Factors Contributing to Tinnitus
- Loud noise exposure like in a concert, firearms, noisy machinery
- Head injury due to accidents
- Ear infections
- Caffeine, alcohol and certain prescription medication
- Temporomandibular joint (TNJ) dysfunction and misaligment
- Stress and chronic stress
Pathophysiology
While the damage to the auditory system established tinnitus, the limbic system or the area of the brain that translates and processes how things affect us from an emotional point of view tends to amplify it.
Your emotional reaction to tinnitus determining how much tinnitus impacts you. If you feel anxious or alarmed because of the tinnitus, the condition will worsen.
Like anything mind-body, stress and anxiety play a major role in the progression of the disease. This results potentially in a visious cycle.
Relaxation therapy, calming the autonomic nervous system, and hypnosis are all techniques we use to help lower the intensity or eliminate tinnitus.
Here are some studies and more reading on the use of hypnosis for tinnitus:
Clinical Hypnosis for the Alleviation of Tinnitus PDF
Comparison between Self-Hypnosis, Masking and Attentiveness for Alleviation of Chronic Tinnitus
Ericksonian hypnosis in tinnitus therapy
Additionally, craniosacral therapy might help in the long run.
