Because a significant percentage of my practice consists of athletes who have had head injuries, and because I have recently been seeing quite a few patients suffering from Tinnitus or Meniere’s Disease, I was very interested to see a recent study by Peter M. Kreuzer, et al, in the Journal of Trauma Rehabilitation entitled “Trauma-associated Tinnitus”*. The results of Kreuzer and his colleagues show that mechanical, pressure-related, or noise-related head trauma, neck injuries and emotional trauma can all be causes of tinnitus.
Tinnitus is a defined as a ringing or buzzing in the ears. Meniere’s is considered to be a disorder of the inner ear that causes spontaneous episodes of vertigo (a sensation of a spinning motion or dizziness) along with fluctuating hearing loss, ringing in the ear (tinnitus), and sometimes a feeling of fullness or pressure in your ear. Tinnitus and Meniere’s have been associated with many conditions ranging from allergies, autoimmune disorders, smoking, and traumatic brain injuries, to problems with the carotid artery, malformations of other arteries and veins, allergic and autoimmune diseases,. Because I am not a medical doctor, and because some of these conditions can be life-threatening, I always recommend that people consult a physician before coming to see for Tinnitus or Meniere’s treatment.
I have had success treating some cases of tinnitus with homeopathy by treating the patient for a past head injury. Often the head trauma occurred long before the tinnitus, so the patient did not associate the two, but the TBI was revealed when I interviewed the patient and other symptoms that correlated with a trauma remedy were present. How is it possible that I can resolve tinnitus resulting from a distant head injury? Aren’t we told by doctors that the brain cannot regenerate itself? That brain damage is not reversible?
Allopathic medicine, also known as “Western” medicine, uses pharmaceuticals and other invasive methods to try to relieve symptoms. Pharmaceuticals are toxic substances that often damage tissues of the body and can leave a big footprint in their wake. Pharmaceuticals do not cause tissues to regenerate. Homeopathy works differently. Homeopaths view symptoms as an indication by the body that the vital force—the energy that makes the difference between a living, breathing being and a corpse—is out of balance. Homeopaths use gentle, energetic medicines, not toxic substances, to help the vital force rebalance itself. When that happens, the body heals itself, often surprisingly quickly!
With the patients whom I have helped recover their hearing after a TBI, I utilized homeopathic remedies that are indicated for trauma to the brain. By searching my homeopathic database I have identified remedies that are indicated for Tinnitus associated with brain concussion. I can narrow down that pool of remedies to find the best one for my patient by including other symptoms. I may, for instance include mental/emotional symptoms that occurred following the TBI, specify the type of sound in the ear (hissing, roaring, chirping, etc.), include Meniere’s –type symptoms that are present (vertigo after head injury), etc. I always chose a homeopathic remedy that is specifically indicated for the patient’s unique symptoms. And, of course, homeopathy is also often very helpful for Tinnitus and Meniere’s and other hearing problems that are not related to a traumatic head injury.
If you or a loved one are suffering from Tinnitus or other hearing problem, don’t despair because your physician has not been able to help you. Try consulting a homeopath and see if they are able to bring relief.
* Kreuzer, Peter M., Landgrebe, Michael, Vielsmeier, Veronika, Kleinjung, Tobias, De Ridder, Dirk, Langguth, Berthold. (2014). Trauma-associated tinnitus. Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation, 29(5), Pgs. 432-442.
