How I ‘Cured’ My Tinnitus at 55: What Finally Helped Quiet the Ringing in My Ears
At first, doctors told me I was just imagining things—but I knew something was wrong
Key Takeaways
- Use white noise nightly: Run a fan or app to mask tinnitus and make it easier to sleep
- Try low-cost supplements: Magnesium may help, but NAC isn't yet proven for tinnitus relief
- Add therapy and bodywork: CBT, craniosacral massage and calming habits aid relief
I was about nine or 10 years old when I first became aware of a ringing in my ears—what I’d later come to learn was tinnitus—and it’s plagued me ever since. When you have tinnitus, you hear certain noises on a continual loop in your head. For me, these sounds range from a ringing, buzzing, pulsating or a whooshing, similar to the noise you hear when you hold a seashell up to your ear. But now, at 55 years old, I’ve finally managed to find a noticeable measure of relief. Here’s how I “cured” my tinnitus.
What tinnitus sounds like to me
At night when I’m in bed, I can often hear an amplification of my bodily sounds, such as a very loud heartbeat, the swishing of my eyeballs moving back and forth, the flow of blood running through my veins and a growling in my stomach. Having tinnitus makes me extra sensitive to external noises too. I often hear things no one else can. For instance, in high school, I recall being in a classroom that was near the boiler room, and I was the only one who could hear the hissing and rumbling noises coming from there.
Tinnitus took a heavy toll on my physical and mental health
Physically, the condition has caused me to experience migraine headaches, which often occur in people with tinnitus. It also affected my sleep, with the internal noises making it difficult to doze off. And when I finally did manage to sleep, it was fitful and sporadic. I was constantly tired. Physically, my body was sluggish, heavy and I was plagued with chronic pain. I almost always felt hungover, even though I don’t drink alcohol.
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Emotionally, I was always irritable, constantly in fight-or-flight mode and short-tempered. The cascade effect from lack of adequate sleep caused the tinnitus to get louder, my brain more sensitive to the noises from within and from outside sources.
My mental health also suffered. I had difficulty focusing and experienced severe depression. Not being able to stop or quiet the noises I was hearing caused me extreme anxiety. Even when my tinnitus would quiet for a bit, I dreaded that it would come back full force any minute.
What doctors think caused my tinnitus
I’d visited numerous doctors over the years, but none could give me a solid medical explanation for my tinnitus. The physicians I saw characterized my tinnitus as hallucinations, my imagination and even malingering.
But by 2012, my tinnitus was so loud and high-pitched that it made my head feel numb and tingly—so much so I would have to pull over on the highway because I thought I was having a seizure or a stroke. After several trips to the emergency room, I was referred to an ear, nose and throat specialist (ENT), also known as an otolaryngologist.
The ENT diagnosed me with bilateral superior semicircular canal dehiscence (SSCDS), a rare inner ear disorder where the bone in your ear canal develops a hole or becomes too thin. SSCDS can lead to hearing loss, balance issues, heightened sensitivity to sound and hearing internal sounds.
The doctor explained I was likely born with SSCDS and recommended surgery. The problem: It’s a major procedure that could potentially cause significant hearing loss and might not get rid of my baseline tinnitus. My hearing hasn’t been affected too severely by my tinnitus and the risks felt too significant for me, so I opted out of the procedure.
My motivation for learning how to manage tinnitus
I’m a singer, songwriter and musician—I love what I do and wanted to keep doing it, so I pursued therapy to help manage the overwhelming symptoms of tinnitus. And after I got married and had my three children, my faith in God and knowing I had a family who counted on me kept me motivated to keep going in my search for relief. But it was an uphill battle.
Things I hoped would cure my tinnitus, but didn’t
In my search for something that would help manage my tinnitus and improve my quality of life, I was recommended to get hearing aids and wear them on the lowest setting for six months. Unfortunately, my insurance wouldn’t cover them. As an alternative, I tried AirPods with a built-in hearing aid function, but they didn’t provide the relief I’d hoped for.
It was time for me to seek out other more affordable and doable strategies, some of which were more successful than others. I tried doing vestibular physical therapy (an exercise program designed to treat inner ear disorders) for my dizziness and vertigo, but instead of alleviating it, it made things worse.
Other things I tried included chewing gum—which sometimes made that hollow whooshing sound go away—seeing a chiropractor who performed adjustments on my head and neck and acupuncture, none of which cured my tinnitus.
How I finally found relief from tinnitus
Disappointed but not defeated, I kept trying different things. To start, I began consistently running a box fan in the hallway outside of my bedroom to create white noise that would (hopefully) distract my brain while I slept. And it worked! The humming of the fan made the internal noises a little quieter, and after using it for almost five years, I found I didn’t even need it anymore.
I was still having migraines, and a neurologist suggested acupuncture again. It was the acupuncturist who told me about magnesium supplements, and in particular Natural Vitality Calm Magnesium Citrate powder, that might help with my headaches, sleep issues and anxiety. Over the course of using it for about three weeks, I noticed my tinnitus was quieter and my sleep greatly improved.
Along with taking magnesium, I began taking over-the-counter N-acetylcysteine (NAC) supplements (600 mg once at night). NAC is a form of the amino acid L-cysteine, which has potent antioxidant properties and may help with anxiety. I think it soothed my nervous system, so the tinnitus is either quieter or my calmer nervous system has helped the tinnitus not seem so loud.
More recently, talk therapy has been helpful. I’ve felt validated and have learned calming techniques and behavioral modifications to change how I think about and react to the tinnitus.
And finally, I’ve been going for craniosacral therapy for almost a year now, and it’s helped quiet my tinnitus. It’s basically a very light massage aimed at relieving tension and improving nervous system dysfunction. It helps by releasing restrictions in the soft tissue surrounding the brain and spinal cord. (Learn more about tinnitus treatment options.)
How these treatments can help manage tinnitus
Sound therapy includes listening to a fan, soft music, nature sounds or white noise machines. “These can all help make tinnitus less distracting,” says Hamid Djalilian, MD, an otolaryngologist, tinnitus specialist, chief medical advisor of NeuroMed Tinnitus Clinic, and a professor of otolaryngology at the UC Irvine School of Medicine in Irvine, CA.
Taking 200 mg to 400 mg of magnesium once or twice a day reduces stress, encourages better sleep and helps reduce the frequency and severity of atypical migraines (the one that don’t come with pain), thus lowering the volume of tinnitus, says Dr. Djalilian.
Craniosacral therapy or massage can also be helpful to relieve stiff and tight muscles in the neck, jaw and upper back, which can occur in those with tinnitus. “Patients often get relief because it relieves muscle spasms and calms the body, which reduces tinnitus,” Dr. Djalilian explains.
When it comes to NAC supplements, this treatment is used to treat acute loss of hearing but hasn’t yet been shown to have a specific effect on tinnitus, notes Dr. Djalilian. “The amount of NAC in over-the-counter supplements is quite variable. When we want to use NAC for an acute noise-induced hearing loss, we use a prescription one that comes in a liquid form.”
What I’ve learned about living with tinnitus
Although my tinnitus isn’t completely cured, the strategies I’ve tried have worked together to calm me and lessen the severity of my anxiety and depression. As a result, my tinnitus doesn’t seem as loud or irritating as it once did.
My advice: If your mental health is suffering because of tinnitus, seek out a cognitive behavioral therapist, specifically one who understands tinnitus. A good therapist can help you find a combination of things that work for you, as well as provide coping techniques. When it comes to tinnitus, I don’t think there’s one magic solution, but a combination of lifestyle and behavioral modifications that can bring relief.
The decrease in my tinnitus suffering has made me calmer, more focused and more satisfied with life overall. My singing and songwriting has never been better, and I have accomplished more this year with my music creation than I have in my entire life. I’m so grateful for how far I’ve come.
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