Vitamin A - tinnitus and hearing loss results

In 1953 the Swiss pharmaceutical manufacturer Hoffmann-La Roche published a medical report in which it was stated that in clinical trials conducted to establish a possible link between hearing loss and vitamin deficiency, the administration of large doses of Vitamin A lead to positive improvement of hearing loss in the majority of cases.

These trials, which were conducted both in the US and Europe, included sufferers of tinnitus as well as hearing loss and other inner ear disorders.

As far back as 1938, Sir Edward Mellanby, Sheffield, and F.R.Nager, Zurich, demonstrated in animal trials that a vitamin A shortage would lead to disorders in the inner ear.

Degenerative changes in the organ of Corti were noted as well as a degeneration in the area of the nervus acusticus. Degenerative changes in bone development in the periostal capsule of the labyrinth, labyrinthitis, were also noted.

A regression in hearing was noted, and the logical conclusion made is that a correlation between vitamin A deficiency and hearing disorders exists and that Vitamin A could be of vital importance in treating hearing loss.

The results of these animal trials lead to the expectation, that vitamin A could be useful in the treatment human hearing disorders.

The first attempts in this direction were conducted in 1949 by the noted New York otorhinolaryngologist M.J. Lobel.

He applied a dose of 50,000 I.U. of vitamin A, in some 300 patients with progressive hearing loss, twice a week for a period of six weeks. The patients who responded positively received further treatment during 22 more weeks, or as long as it took to achieve the maximum gain in hearing ability.

Lobel's results were astonishing!

In the first six weeks 83% of the patients responded positively to the Vitamin A treatments. Conductive as well as perceptive hearing loss were clearly improved.

The first group, in which Lobel included all dysfunctions in the conductive system including otosclerosis, responded more swiftly when compared to the second group.

Lobel also obtained positive results in mixed forms of hearing loss. Persistent tinnitus which most often accompanies hearing loss, was dramatically improved and in fact completely eliminated in some patients. This reduction in the levels of tinnitus normally occurred after the second or third week of treatment, or at latest after two months on the treatments.

Between 1941-51 on five other occasions, experimental research onto the correlation between the ear and vitamin A-metabolism was performed.

The results of those studies indeed confirm the conclusions made in 1938 by Mellanby and Nager.

Furthermore it was discovered that hearing loss experimentally induced by streptomycin can be positively influenced by supplying Vitamin A. Trials with streptomycin indicate that Vitamin A maintains the function of the sensory cells in the organ of Corti.

One separate trial conducted on 30 patients suffering from hearing loss of which 23 also suffered from persistent tinnitus.

After six weeks of using vitamin A according to the schedule as laid out by Lobel, the following results were achieved.

Hearing loss had decreased in 15 patients

23 of the 30 patients also suffered from tinnitus and in 17 (74%) of these cases a positive influence by Vitamin A was reported.

The authors came to the following conclusions:

"It is concluded that Vitamin A in fairly large doses is a valuable therapeutic agent in the treatment of deafness and tinnitus, and that because of the safety and simplicity of administration, every person with a hearing impairment or tinnitus should be given the benefit of a trial period with this preparation."

"Equally as important as the improvement in hearing is the relief obtained from the tinnitus in some patients. Actually, we are able to report better results in the treatment of tinnitus than in hearing impairment."

"This is certainly a welcome addition to otologic therapy, for all of us have had patients state that they could endure the deafness if only something could be done about the tinnitus."

"It will be noted that improvement ranged from minimal to complete remission...

Here too it should be remembered that sometimes only a minimal improvement is sufficient to make the tinnitus more bearable."

The notifications made by Lobel were later verified in the U.S. by H.W. Bau and L. Savitt of the Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat College hospital, Chicago, Ill.

They reported the treatment of 24 hearing impaired patients using Lobel's method.

7 patients, after Vitamin A treatment, showed a gain in hearing of 5-10 dB and in 2 others improvement of over 20 dB was reported. Of 9 patients who were suffering from tinnitus, 6 were highly improved.

Identical trials conducted with 103 patients by G Nager, in Europe in 1952 reported the following:

"Vitamin A in highly concentrated form (Arovit, Hoffmann - La Roche), in endogenous inner ear hearing loss, presbyacusis, Meniere's disease and in acoustic neuroma, did accomplish an improvement in pure-tone hearing in an average of 30% (actually 38%), improvement in speech perception an average of 30% (actually 39%).

The accompanying tinnitus was reduced significantly by an average of 39% and completely cured in 27% of cases.

Vitamin A, for that reason, may be recommended as a treatment that is effective in a certain percentage, for the treatment of inner ear hearing loss." (G. Nager, 1952.)

From the strong clinical evidence listed above, it can be concluded that
Vitamin A is vital to inner ear health.

Also clear is the fact that administration of large doses of Vitamin A in cases where inner ear degeneration has already ocurred (where hearing loss, tinnitus, Meniere's Disease and other disorders are being experienced), dramatic relief of tinnitus and improvement in hearing takes place fairly quickly. (Within 90 days)

Each Alpha Tinnitus Relief Formula capsule contains 10mg Natural Beta-Carotene which produces natural Vitamin A in the body.