Ask Barry Questions on Tinnitus

Dear Howard,

Our tinnitus formula may be helpful for your TMJ disorder, but you should have some direct therapy for it. Postural and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) dysfunction caused tinnitus are part of somatic tinnitus. This is when signals from the body interfere with auditory signals in the brain and cause or worsen tinnitus. It is totally different from tinnitus caused by noise exposure or hearing loss. If the cause of the somatic tinnitus can be determined, it can be treated.

One of the main causes of somatic tinnitus is spasm in the sternocleidomastoid muscle. This is the large muscle on both sides of the neck that helps rotate the head. Spasm in this muscle will cause tinnitus. The other main cause is TMJ, which you mention. TMJ is caused by the misalignment of the skull and jaw at the temporo-mandibular joint. This is the joint where the jaw hinges onto the skull.

Either of these can cause tinnitus and both are treatable. Most treatment options include relaxing the muscles in the area causing the somatic reaction. Please read our article somatic tinnitus for a fuller understanding of the condition. Also, make sure to click on the TMJ link (above) which will take you to another article specifically dealing with TMJ. There are many treatment options for this and most are painless and non-invasive.

In both cases, Arches Tinnitus Formula can be a helpful co-treatment for the conditions. ATF increases blood flow and will help the affected muscles and clear toxins from them that are caused by the continued stress. It can also help heal the damage in the ear and reduce tinnitus.

Sincerely,
Barry Keate

Dear Murray,

MDMA is a synthetic drug, commonly referred to as Ecstasy or XTC. It produces feelings of increased energy, euphoria and emotional warmth and is frequently used during parties or “Raves.” It has similar effects to those of cocaine or amphetamines. I agree with you, it would be deleterious, to say the least, to use this drug as an ongoing treatment for tinnitus…ever.

I have seen numerous references to the fact that MDMA temporarily cures tinnitus. When it is metabolized by the body, the tinnitus returns. There are other compounds that do the same thing. Lidocaine is one of them; it will totally suppress tinnitus for several hours but it always returns when the Lidocaine leaves the body.

I don’t think that there is the possibility of refining Ecstasy to something that can be taken as a permanent cure for tinnitus. They body metabolizes it in about 3-6 hours and all effects of it are gone, except for the hangover. Symptoms include confusion, depression, sleep problems, drug craving and anxiety.

Wishing you quiet times,
Barry Keate

Dear Neil,

There are many products which claim to cure tinnitus but unfortunately there is no cure. But there can be relief. An advertised guarantee is often meaningless since market research shows only 1-2% of people will demand their money back. Many less scrupulous competitors advertise a guarantee but never actually honor it.

Tinnitus is a very difficult condition to treat and has many different pathologies. For that reason we don’t offer one because we realize that our product doesn’t work for everyone but it does work for many who have tinnitus due to hearing loss.

I believe the best course is to follow the science, not the marketing. There is solid scientific evidence that Ginkgo biloba is helpful for people with tinnitus. Arches has developed a more highly concentrated extract of Ginkgo biloba designed for people with tinnitus, called Ginkgo Max 26/7. Depending on the cause of your tinnitus, we see success rates of 65% to 75% in those who have tinnitus due to noise exposure and hearing loss, the largest cause of tinnitus.

Please see an overview of 19 clinical studies on Ginkgo biloba for tinnitus. Not one of our competitors can offer this degree of scientific backing for their products.

Tinnitus maskers can be helpful for some. And as you know, they can be fairly expensive. I’ve never used one, but a number of our customers have had success using our products in tandem, in order to attack their tinnitus on several fronts.

Wishing you quiet times,
Barry Keate

Dear Arash,

Thank you for your message. Yes, I believe our products can help you. Arches Tinnitus Formulas are most effective for those who have tinnitus due to noise exposure, like yourself.

I’m glad that you’ve started taking ginkgo and vitamin B-1 but there are some things you should know:

1 – Most over-the-counter ginkgo is not very effective. Consumer Labs tested many major brands and found that 60% did not live up to the specifications for high quality ginkgo.

2 – Even if you do have quality ginkgo, you must take 240 mg twice daily for about three months before you can expect good results.

3 – While vitamin B-1 is very good to use, you should consider a B-Complex vitamin that contains the entire family of B vitamins. These compounds work in coordination with each other to help reduce stress and are much more effective when taken together.

Arches Tinnitus Formula contains Ginkgo Max 26/7,  the highest concentration of Ginkgo biloba extract of any product on the market.  It also contains zinc picolinate and odor reduced garlic, both of which have been shown to be helpful for tinnitus.

I recommend you use the Arches Tinnitus Formula Combo Pack. This contains a three month supply of all our products. By the end of this period your tinnitus should be reduced and you should be feeling better.

Wishing you quiet times,
Barry Keate

Dear David,

You most likely have a mild case of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), or mild concussion. These injuries often cause tinnitus and other side-effects. In mild cases the brain is able to recover and hopefully your tinnitus will resolve. A neurologist is the correct specialist to determine how much damage has been done.

Ginkgo biloba has been found to be helpful in restoring neuronal damage from traumatic brain injury. Our proprietary ginkgo, Ginkgo Max 26/7 is the primary ingredient in Arches Tinnitus Formula. I recommend 240 mg taken twice daily. Do not use ginkgo, without consulting you doctor, if you are on prescription blood thinning medications as ginkgo increases circulation and they can be additive.

Wishing you quiet times,
Barry Keate

Dear Sindy,

Please do not despair. Pulsatile tinnitus has a rational cause and in many cases it can be treated. It is unlike regular tinnitus caused by exposure to noise.

Pulsatile tinnitus is due to turbulent blood flow in an artery near the cochlea. You are actually hearing the blood rush through the artery when the heart pumps. The turbulent flow can be caused by many conditions; high blood pressure, twisted arteries, atherosclerosis, and other causes. A vascular surgeon may be able to determine the cause, in which case treatment is possible.

One way to reduce pulsatile tinnitus is to thin the blood somewhat. The thinner the blood, the less pressure in the vessels and the lower the noise. Arches Tinnitus Formula could help reduce pulsatile tinnitus by thinning the blood and also by making the blood vessels more pliable.

Wishing you quiet times,
Barry Keate

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Dear Frank,

Yes, there is some truth to this. Tinnitus does not specifically cause dementia or memory loss,  hearing loss can cause cognitive decline. Since hearing loss is the primary cause of tinnitus it can also affect memory loss and dementia.

This happens because the brain needs input from all senses. If the auditory cortex doesn’t have enough sound input it begins to shrink.

Ways to prevent or slow the progression of cognitive decline are to increase the auditory environment to keep brain cells healthy. Hearing aids will be helpful as well as Arches Tinnitus Formula.  The ingredients in ATF has been shown in clinical studies to prevent hearing loss and even restore some degree of loss over time.

Wishing you quiet times,
Barry Keate

Dear Mike,

Those who wake from a nap with worsened tinnitus may have a somatic component to their tinnitus. That is, there may be signals coming from the muscles or skeleton that are aggravated by the position the person sleeps in. These signals interfere with acoustic signals and can worsen tinnitus.

Temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ) is a common cause of tinnitus. It occurs when the jaw is out of alignment with the skull. Sleeping on the side may aggravate this and cause TMJ to worsen. A specially trained craniofacial pain dentist can diagnose this. If TMJ is a problem, a simple mouth guard used when sleeping will keep the jaw in line and reduce symptoms.

Other somatic conditions can occur with a spasm of the SCM. That is the sternocleidomastoid muscle that is located below the ears and helps in turning the head.

Other causes can be misalignment of the upper cervical vertebrae or other muscular or skeletal abnormalities. Pressure from these conditions can affect the nerves that feed into the auditory cortex.

To learn more about this condition, please see our article on Somatic Tinnitus.

Wishing you quiet times,
Barry Keate

Dear Janice,

Tinnitus will not increase constantly until you die. In fact over time, many people habituate to it and the annoyance goes down.

There are many causes of tinnitus but the great majority of them involve hearing loss. While there is no cure, there are ways to reduce the loudness and annoyance of tinnitus. Primarily, Arches Tinnitus Formula reduces the sound level. This is especially true for those with hearing loss who have a 60-70% success rate, not in curing it but in reducing the sound intensity and anxiety that accompany tinnitus. This product has to be taken continuously for 90-100 days for it to determine total efficacy.

Whether or not you have success with our products, there are other therapies that are quite helpful and can be done alone or in conjunction with our supplements. These include Mindfulness Meditation and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.

Wishing you quiet times,
Barry Keate