Can magnesium successfully treat tinnitus?

Trials are is being used to see if magnesium can successfully treat people with chronic tinnitus — characterised by an inexplicable ringing or buzzing in the ears.

Researchers believe the mineral magnesium plays a key role in protecting our hearing system and that supplements taken daily will reduce tinnitus symptoms.

The clinical trial due to start this month involves 40 patients and is being undertaken at the Mayo Clinic in Arizona, America. Half of the group will take a 535g magnesium tablet every day and the other half a placebo pill. Previous studies have linked low levels of magnesium in the body to a higher risk of noise induced hearing loss, something often associated with tinnitus leading researchers to believe magnesium supplementation may offer a cure.

Tinnitus is believed to permanently affect one in ten adults, with one in three people experiencing it at some point in their life. It can be triggered by a range of factors, such as ear infections, adverse reactions to some medications (such as aspirin), significant exposure to noise, high blood pressure or age-related hearing damage. Tinnitus can affect one or both ears and there is currently no known cure.

Dr Ralph Holme, head of biomedical research at the Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID), says: ‘Everyday life can often be frustrating and distressing for people experiencing tinnitus, and RNID is keen to see effective treatments developed to cure or treat the condition.
‘Only a small group of people are being tested in this study, so it will be hard for researchers to show whether a magnesium supplement can meaningfully reduce the effects of tinnitus. But, the research may encourage future larger-scale trials.’