We’ve all been there: searching the internet for any type of “cure” for tinnitus. From supplements and smoothies, to tinnitus hearing aids and sound therapy, you’re probably tried numerous different tinnitus treatments. But what about the Reddit Tinnitus Cure?
A few years ago a thread was started on Reddit about a simple and free tinnitus treatment that could “cure” the condition. Of course, we know now that there is no cure for tinnitus, but any reduction in symptoms would be greatly appreciated for those who suffer from it.
Essentially, the Reddit Tinnitus Cure is this:
- Take your index finger and put it on your middle finger on the same hand, for each hand. By pushing hard on to your middle finger, your index finger will slip off.
- Practice this first on a table so you can get the movement correct. Your index finger will hit the table below, making a drummer noise.
- Place the palms of your hands onto each ear and re-create this drumming motion. This time your index finger will hit near the back of your head.
- You’ll need to do this about 50 times, one after another in fairly quick succession.
The idea is that when you stop, your tinnitus will be quieter or eliminated entirely.
You can watch the original video that was posted on Reddit here, to see the technique in motion. Since being posted on Youtube in 2012, the video has been viewed over 380,000 times. This particular technique and video has also been shared around various Tinnitus online forums where users have tested out the motion themselves.
The video was linking viewers to ringinginearsx.net which has since been shut down.
Does the Reddit Tinnitus Cure really work?
The consensus on this tinnitus “cure” is 50/50. Some users report that their tinnitus stopped, or was dramatically reduced, after performing this motion. Other say this treatment did nothing for them. However, it seems that in all cases, the tinnitus sounds came back eventually, either after a few seconds, minutes or even hours. There is no reported cause of tinnitus stopping completely by using this Reddit Tinnitus Cure. So while it’s not a permanent solution, it may provide some relief and silence for short periods of time.
Of course, we know that tinnitus is caused by numerous reasons, so it’s not surprisingly that one motion or exercise won’t cure the condition.
Some Reddit comments included:
What’s interesting is that in all the videos we’ve found about this technique, none of them have provided any reason, evidence or research on why this technique would be effective. It’s speculated that while some causes for tinnitus are related to the brain, rather than the ears, this technique may be distracting the brain from tinnitus.
