Tinnitus affects around 20% of the population and has many causes. Here we’ll look at some homeopathic remedies for tinnitus. It a common symptom with Lyme and co-infections.
Tinnitus is hearing a sound which has no external source. It can be constant or intermittent and in most cases is more noticeable when other external sounds are not present eg at night when all is quiet. These internal sounds can vary from ringing, buzzing, banging, roaring etc and there can also be different pitches and tones of sound. There are two specific types of tinnitus – musical tinnitus which sounds like a tune that we may know and pulse tinnitus which is in time with the heartbeat.
When I had tinnitus I had high pitched buzzing and mid range buzzing, I also had the noise of a radio in my ears.
In Lyme disease tinnitus can be accompanied by headache and/or vertigo so careful selection of a remedy is important therefore what we call “concomittent” symptoms must be taken into consideration. These are symptoms which go alongside the presenting complaint (in this case the tinnitus).
Here are a few suggestions from Dr Murphy’s repertory for specific tinnitus presentations:
Kali-mur: Snapping, crackling, popping noises in the ear(s).
Pulsatilla: Tinnitus that sounds like the wind or rushing water.
Theridion curassavicum: Rushing in both ears like a waterfall
Hydrastis canadensis: Roaring in the ears like machinery
Lachesis muta: A roaring and singing sound in the ears which is better for putting the finger in the ear and shaking it (this is pretty specific and would be a great indication for this remedy). A whizzing noise as from insects. Cracking, whizzing, drumming with reverberation. There can also be noise sensitivity in this remedy which is common with Lyme – hyperacusis.
Bryonia alba: Roaring, buzzing, ringing, humming in ears. Chirping like locusts (another very specific remedy indication). Humming in left ear resembling pouring of water over a dam. Intolerance of noise. Aural vertigo (aka Meniere’s disease which we know can be Lyme mis-diagnosed).
These are a small selection of the remedies that can be considered for tinnitus, I chose these because of the unusual and sometimes quite specific sound presentation. As homeopaths we are always on the look out for what we call “strange, rare and peculiars” – unusual symptoms which can point us to a remedy and some of these are def peculiar.