Ever hear the phone beep when it is accidentally left off of the hook? Isn’t hat an annoying sound? Imagine hearing that twenty four hours a day. People who suffer from tinnitus often hear strange noises that will pester them so much that they can’t sleep. Tinnitus is so incredibly annoying, that sufferers honestly contemplate puncturing their own ear drums with an ice pick. But this way to get rid of tinnitus is not recommended. It’s also incredibly painful.

So, what can you do to get rid of tinnitus that doesn’t involve ice picks and eardrums? Plenty.

Talk to Your Doctor About Your Medications

According to the Mayo Clinic, some medications can cause ringing or other annoying noises in the ears. Some SSRI antidepressants such as Zoloft (sertraline) are notorious for this. Many people who have taken Zoloft and get ringing in the ears can be helped with both their depression and their tinnitus by switching to another SSRI, such as Prozac (fluoexetine).

Clean Your Ears

Earwax is incredibly useful stuff. It helps push out dirt, hair and other invaders from the sensitive inner ear. However, when it comes to earwax, more is definitely not better. If you have developed tinnitus after recently having an infection in your ears, be sure your doctor looks inside of your ears to check for an unusual build-up of wax.

For example, some people with psoriasis get it in their outer ears and cause the skin to thicken. This narrows the ear canal and so the wax can’t get out as usual. Earwax clumps bigger than raisins can easily develop in the average human ear. Cleaning out the earwax can not only help the tinnitus, but also with your overall hearing.

Keep a Tinnitus Journal

There are foods and beverages that have been known to cause tinnitus or greatly contribute to its severity. These include any beverage containing caffeine (like soda, black tea and coffee), red wine, cheese, chocolate and even foods made out of flour. Eat these foods – or cut them out – and note your ears’ reaction in your journal. By just avoiding certain foods, you could cure your tinnitus.