Homeopathic medicine, treatment and remedies for Deafness (Hearing Loss)

The following are some of the suggested homeopathic remedies for hearing loss:

• Baryta Carbonica
  Common Name: Carbonate of baryta
  Symptoms: This remedy works best in people who tend to be reserved and have an aversion to meeting strangers. It can also be used by children and old-aged people and is effective in the management of the following symptoms:
  • Age related dementia
  • Mental weakness
  • Difficulty hearing
  • Crackling noise in ears
  • Persistently swollen tonsils
  • Pain and swelling in the glands around ears
  • Tendency to catch cold easily
  • Reverberation in the ear on blowing nose
  • Distended abdomen

Symptoms worsen while lying on the painful side, and on washing the affected area. Thinking of symptoms also aggravates the condition. Symptoms improve when the patient takes a walk in open air.

• Belladonna
  Common Name: Deadly nightshade
  Symptoms: Patients who benefit from this remedy tend to have hallucinations, and a constant desire to escape. They live in a world of their own. Belladonna helps manage the following symptoms:
  • Fainting
  • Intolerance to loud noise
  • Pain in the inner ear and middle ear
  • Inflammation of the middle ear
  • Swelling in the parotid gland (a salivary gland located near the ear)
  • Bulging of eardrum
  • Throbbing and beating pain deep in the ear which seem to be occurring in synchrony with one's heartbeat
  • Hearing one’s own voice in ears

Symptoms worsen in the noon, on touching the affected area and with any kind of noise. The patient feels better while sitting in a semi-erect position.

• Chenopodium Anthelminticum
  Common Name: Jerusalem oak
  Symptoms: This remedy is indicated for individuals having Meniere’s disease. It helps relieve the following symptoms:
  • Weakness of auditory nerve
  • Better hearing for high-pitched sounds
  • Extreme sensitivity to sound
  • Tinnitus
  • Enlarged tonsils
  • Vertigo that occurs suddenly
  • Great pain in the right shoulder blade 
• Graphites
  Common Name: Black lead, plumbago
  Symptoms: Individuals who respond well to graphites tend to be restless, especially at work and cry while listening to music. It is a frequently used remedy for addressing the following symptoms:
  • Dryness in inner ear
  • Redness and swelling in eyelids
  • Cracking sound in ears when eating
  • Moisture at the back of the ears
  • Hearing ability better in noise
  • Hissing and loud sounds like gunshots in ear
  • Presence of whitish and scaly membrane over the eardrum
  • Cracks in and behind the ear

Symptoms worsen at night, and with warmth and improve on wrapping oneself up and in the dark.

• Kalium Muriaticum
  Common Name: Chloride of potassium, KCl
  Symptoms: The following symptoms usually get better with the use of this remedy:
  • Chronic inflammatory conditions of the middle ear
  • Noises in ear
  • Swelling and pain in the cheek
  • Swelling in the glands around the ear
  • Excessive accumulation of fluid around the auricle (outer ear)
  • Indigestion due to fatty foods

Symptoms worsen on moving about, and consumption of fatty food.

• Lycopodium Clavatum
  Common Name: Club moss
  Symptoms: Lycopodium suits well in individuals who are extremely sensitive by nature and tend to have low self-confidence. This remedy is effective in the management of the following symptoms:
  • Tongue blisters
  • Offensive yellow discharge from ears
  • Humming and roaring in the ears
  • Reverberations in ears
  • Eczema in and behind ears
  • Ear infection after scarlet fever

Symptoms worsen from heat, warm room, hot air, warmth of the bed and warm applications. Symptoms improve after midnight, by motion, and on getting cold.

• Petroleum
  Common Name: Crude rock-oil
  Symptoms: Petroleum is useful for individuals who tend to worry that they are about to die and need to settle everything as soon as possible. Such people are usually irritable and get easily aggravated by emotions. They report the following symptoms:
  • Ulcers in the nostrils with a burning sensation
  • Inability to bear noises, especially when a lot of people are talking together
  • Eczema in and behind ears, with extreme itching
  • Soreness in parts of ears
  • Fissures in the ear canal
  • Excessive build-up of mucus in the ear cavity
  • Ringing in ears
  • Chronic catarrh of Eustachian tubes (a tube that connects the ear to the throat)
  • Diarrhoea during the day

Symptoms worsen in the winter season, from riding in a car, before and during a thunderstorm and after eating. The patient feels better in dry weather and in warm air.

• Silicea Terra
  Common Name: Silica, pure flint
  Symptoms: Silicea is given to individuals who tend to be very nervous yet easily excitable and intolerant to alcohol. These individuals display the following symptoms:
  • Sensitivity to any kind of noise
  • Roaring sound in the ears
  • Extreme sensitivity to catching cold
  • Foul-smelling discharge from ears
  • Infection of the mastoid air cells that surrounds the inner and middle ear

Symptoms worsen in the morning, in cold weather, during periods, and while lying down, especially on the left side. Symptoms improve with in humid weather and with warmth.

• Verbascum Thapsus
  Common Name: Mullein
  Symptoms: Verbascum is administered to individuals who report:
  • Ear pain (otalgia), with a sense of obstruction
  • Scaly and dry ear canal
  • Inflammation in the mucous membrane of ear
  • Common cold
  • Hoarseness
  • Stiffness and pain in leg joints

Symptoms worsen from 9 am to 4 pm, on sneezing, and with changing temperature.

Since homeopathic medicines are given in small doses, it is necessary to ensure that their action is not compromised by the patient’s lifestyle and dietary practices.

Do’s: 

• Eat a healthy and nutritious diet rich in fruits and vegetables.
• Maintain an active life and perform regular moderate exercise in open air. 
• Drink adequate amount of water.

Read more: How much water to drink in a day

Don’ts: 

• Avoid strong beverages like coffee, herbal teas and artificially flavoured drinks.
• Avoid consuming spicy food, ice cream, soups that contain herbs or vegetables known for their medicinal qualities, celery, onion and spoilt meat or cheese.
• Avoid strong-scented perfumes, flowers and tooth powders.
• Avoid woollen clothing.
• Avoid a sedentary lifestyle in closed apartments.
• Avoid incidents that can cause stress to the mind and body.
• Avoid overeating and consuming excess sugar and salt.
• Sleeping in the same position for long hours must be curtailed.
• Avoid staying in unclean, damp and humid rooms.

The conventional mode of treatment for hearing loss involves medications, surgery or hearing aids.

Homeopathic medicines can slow down the process of hearing loss and can be used by people who want to avoid surgery or medicines with side effects. Homeopathic treatment stimulates the immune system of the body to restore health naturally and also enhances the quality of life. Moreover, since homeopathic remedies are prepared from natural sources, they are safe to use in both adults and children. 

A clinical study showed that homeopathic medicines along with massaging pressure therapy resulted in a considerable improvement in individuals with sensorineural hearing loss.

In another evidence-based case report, a 68-year-old patient with acoustic/vestibular schwannoma (a benign primary intracranial tumour of the myelin‑forming cells of the vestibulocochlear nerve that can lead to hearing loss) was successfully treated with lycopodium.

Homeopathic medicines are made from natural substances that are extremely diluted before use. Furthermore, since the health history of the patient is considered before prescribing medicines, they are safe to use and do not generally produce adverse effects. However, it is important that the patient consult a certified homeopathic doctor to choose a remedy as well as its appropriate dosage according to their symptoms.

Hearing loss or deafness is the partial or complete inability to hear. There are three types of hearing loss: conductive, sensorineural and mixed. The condition is treated through medications or surgery/hearing aids. Research studies have established that homeopathic remedies are safe and effective in the management of hearing loss. It strengthens the immune system and is said to be suitable treatment for hearing loss in individuals who want to stay away from surgery. Homeopathic medicines for hearing loss may be used as a complementary or alternative form of treatment. Since these remedies are made from natural substances they are said to have no side effects.