Written by AudioNotch Team on May 31, 2016

Please note: the following information does not constitute professional medical advice, and is provided for general informational purposes only. Please speak to your doctor if you have tinnitus.

In the United States, up to 35 percent of adults will experience an episode of tinnitus. Although most cases of tinnitus are temporary, chronic tinnitus can be incapacitating, making it difficult for you to function and hear the sounds that you want to hear. If you suffer from worsening volume of tinnitus, lidocaine tinnitus may be a solution for you.

Who Qualifies for Lidocaine Tinnitus?

Lidocaine is a way to treat chronic tinnitus that has been worsening over a period of 4 to 8 weeks or longer. Lidocaine would not be used to treat temporary tinnitus. About 8 percent of people have chronic tinnitus and would be under consideration for treatment with lidocaine. Your doctor may evaluate your symptoms and perform some tests such as an EKG to check for abnormal heart rhythms and a hearing exam to check for worsening hearing loss to make sure that you are healthy enough to receive lidocaine tinnitus.

How Lidocaine for Tinnitus Works

Lidocaine for tinnitus is administered intravenously. The medication is added to a saline solution in an intravenous solution bag and delivered to you through a vein. The medication takes 30 to 60 minutes to get into your body. Once the lidocaine is absorbed into your body, it works to numb the nerve endings in your auditory system. When the nerve endings are less stimulated, you will experience a lessening of the volume of your tinnitus. The lidocaine may also reduce hyperactivity of the nerves within your ears. Your normal sense of hearing will not be diminished due to the lidocaine. Some doctors will treat you with a single IV of lidocaine every couple of months to prevent your symptoms from worsening. Other doctors will give you IV lidocaine once per day for a few consecutive days to eliminate tinnitus symptoms.

Benefits of Lidocaine for Tinnitus

There are many benefits to using lidocaine for incapacitating tinnitus symptoms. Lidocaine is generally regarded as safe and has been widely used in dentistry and medicine to provide local anesthesia for minor procedures such as dental fillings or stitches. There is a minimal amount of pain when getting lidocaine for tinnitus. The only pain you are likely to experience is when the IV line is placed. The lidocaine treatment should last for several months, providing you with a long duration of relief from your tinnitus symptoms. Most people experience no side effects from lidocaine injections.