Tinnitus is an annoying and persistant condition that affects the ears with many different and constant sounds. They could be ringing, buzzing, hissing sounds that could range as loud as 70 decibels which is similar to having a vacuum cleaner running inside of your head. These sounds occur when the nerve cells inside the small, snail-shaped inner ear, called the cochlea, are damaged. The damage is mainly noise-induced, but the nerve cells can also be damaged by other causes. Medical causes such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, viruses and high insulin levels could also cause some damage. It has even been proven that some antibiotics can cause damage to the nerve cells in the cochlea.
Aging, which causes degeneration, is the most common cause of tinnitus. This is due mainly to poor circulation as we age.
There are actually vitamins for tinnitus that can relieve, treat and sometimes eliminate the nasty bothersome sounds in the ears. Vitamin A is one of the good vitamins for tinnitus treatment. Zinc and vitamin A is found concentrated in the cochlea. If low levels of vitamin A were found in the blood, this can decrease the ability to hear, and also increase the chances of suffering with tinnitus. Using vitamin A supplements with beta-carotene is perfect to treat the tinnitus as well as increasing the ability to hear. The recommended dose is 30 mg of beta-carotene two times a day.
Other vitamins that will benefit the ears and alleviate the tinnitus are the antioxidant nutrients such as vitamin C and vitamin E. The best dosages of these vitamins are 400 iu of vitamin E each day and 250 mg of vitamin C two times a day.
When it comes down to the best vitamins for tinnitus, vitamin B12 plays the most important role. This vitamin can manufacture the fatty sheath that wraps around nerve fibers to insulate them allowing them to conduct electrical impulses in a normal way. It has been proven that people who have a vitamin B12 deficiency can develop many disorders of the nervous system including memory loss, impaired pain perception, decreased reflexes, hearing loss and also tinnitus. Chronic tinnitus has been associated with severe vitamin B12 deficiencies. This makes the ears vulnerable to any damage caused by noise.
Vitamin B12 can be found in meats, eggs and dairy products. However, an elderly person may have more problems absorbing this vitamin and they may suffer from a vitamin B12 deficiency. When this happens, the person may be able to get vitamin B12 injections for the rest of his life. Otherwise a person can safely take about 1,000 micrograms of vitamin B12 each day. Vegetarians who are very strict may also suffer a severe vitamin B12 deficiency since this vitamin only comes from animal foods. They may have to receive the B12 shots or take the vitamin B12 supplements to make up for what they are missing in their foods.
Besides these vitamins for tinnitus, there are other nutrients that may help relieve the problem. Some of these other nutrients include copper, 1.5 milligrams, magnesium, 400 milligrams, selenium, 50-200 micrograms and zinc, 15 milligrams. Also, it is advisable to take a multivitamin/mineral supplement each day which have all of the minimum daily value of all of these essential vitamins.
Before beginning any regimen of vitamin or mineral supplements, it is important to see your physician first.
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