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Wheat and Tinnitus
Like a number of people on this site I have lived with tinnitus (mainly in my right ear) for many years. I have a profound hearing loss and wear 2 Phonak BTEs....having worn aids for years... and hearing aids do work to diminish the sounds.
I watch my diet and try not to eat too many complex carbs. I picked up a book at our library sale called Wheat Belly Cookbook with a lot of recipes and testimonials from people who have lost weight and came across one who said her tinnitus had virtually disappeared.
So about a month ago I started to adhere more to not eating wheat...not an easy process. I did not need to loss weight but I did want to lose some of the wheat belly and occasional bloating. I realized just a few days ago that I have lost almost all of the tinnitus.
I was in very noisy environments this past Mothers Day weekend and did not get the head noise that I usually develop when I am in that situation for a while.
So I am throwing this out there for anyone who would be inclined to pursue this avenue. Our wheat products today are not the same wheat products I grew up eating (I am 83). Wheat today is genetically modified and, I think, not really a necessary staple in our diet. There are a number of gluten free products out there but beware of the ingredients in a lot of them.
I am happy that I did this both health wise and hearing wise. I hope it works for anyone who wishes to try it.....hard to do if you have to feed a family with children but maybe healthier all around.
FL Mary
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Wheat...gluten...and tinnitus - Oh my!
I have been faithfully gluten-free for 15 years now. I originally started because I had totally out-of0control canker and cold sores, and one of my daughters suggested that hers had gone away when she quit gluten.
After stopping, I lost 90% of the outbreaks AND my digestive system improved. After one brief "experiment" when I was a houseguest and didn't want to burden my hosts with my dietary needs, I learned my need was PERMANENT. I have not knowingly eaten wheat or gluten since then, and when I do it accidentally, I pay the price.
BUT, it has not helped my tinnitus, fibromyalgia or hyper-inflammatory reactions. Being gluten-free (or dairy-free or meat-free) is not a cure all for life's ailments, but if we are sensitive to or allergic to specific ingredients, eliminating them can enable us to live our best lives.
What I have learned is -
There is a difference between a preference, a sensitivity and an allergy. People who say they are "allergic" or gluten free" then eat a wheat laden dessert at their friend's home makes it harder for us to be taken seriously.
The closer to nature we eat our food the better
Every label must be read every time (my favorite gluten-free dessert mix recently added almond flour - to which I am seriously allergic)
To find out what is a problem for you, make only one dietary change at a time, and monitor the results. For example, I have learned that I can tolerate some lactose, so I drink lactose free milk, but I do eat real yogurt, sour cream and aged cheese, and the occasional ice cream.
Good eating is one of the pillars of good health, but it doesn't mean jumping on the bandwagon of every emerging popular trend.
Sue
PS Mary @imallears - you are right - wheat is NOT what it was. I learned from a Czech friend that I can eat her pie crusts made from real old-world speltz (in moderation) without issue.
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3 ReactionsThanks for mentioning this. Can you please tell me more about the inflammation benefit of not eating wheat? What kinds of inflammation were you suffering from? How did the new diet help?
I am less concerned about the tinnitus because it is quashed when I pop in my hearing aids. Fortunately!
@new An elimination diet came first for me. When I started adding foods back, I found I could no longer tolerate some of the foods I had previously eaten. Gluten and dairy were the big ones. My "paresthesias" ( tingling, numb, burning sensations) in arms, face and legs improved. I also found that tai chi helped. My tinnitus has not been helped though.
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1 ReactionI will certainly try this. I know it won’t be easy. I have tinnitus in the right ear only with mild hearing loss also in the right ear. I pretty much habituated last year but relapsed in January of this year. I had Covid last November and a sinus infection in January. Perhaps that caused the relapse. I am hoping to habituate again. I use hearing aids for sound therapy. When I have a spike, I go into flight or fight and get very anxious. I live in Tampa, Florida and still searching for an audiologist who will do Tinnitus Retraining Therapy…
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1 Reactionsorry meant @ner!
Thank you!
How long did it take you to notice the tinnitus was improving?