Do you know how many people in the United States have sought treatment for their tinnitus?
It has been reported that over 13 million people in the United States have sought treatment from a
healthcare provider for their tinnitus. Of this 13 million people, 7 million have difficulty sleeping
due to their tinnitus. Additionally, 3 million people are so severely debilitated by their tinnitus that
they have difficulty managing their day-to-day lives.
Do you know how effective sound therapies have shown to be for the treatment of tinnitus?
Several scholarly studies have demonstrated that sound therapies for tinnitus can be effective for over 80%
of individuals. Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT), for example, has been shown to reduce severe tinnitus to a mild
discomfort in this percentage of individuals. Noteable studies include:
Henry et al. (2006): 88% effective
Herraiz et al. (2005): 78-82%
Jastreboff (1998): 81.4%
Jastreboff (1999): 81%
Sheldrake et al. (1999): 83.9%
McKinney et al. (1999): 83.3%
Bartnik et al. (1999): 83-93%
Herraiz et al. (1999): 88.1%
Do you know how effective natural remedies and supplements have shown to be for the treatment of tinnitus?
Most natural remedies and supplements have not been clinically shown to be effective at
treating tinnitus. Minerals such as magnesium or zinc, herbal preparations such as Ginkgo biloba,
homeopathic remedies, or B vitamins are sometimes taken by patients for their tinnitus and found
to be helpful. Acupuncture, cranio-sacral therapy, magnets, hyperbaric oxygen, or hypnosis have also
been found to provide relief in some people. A few of these therapies have been researched in an attempt to verify the
anecdotal claims. The results of such studies have not conclusively identified these treatments as helpful for tinnitus.
A recent survey of audiologists from around the country showed that alternative treatments are likely to be
effective less than 15% of the time.