The actual problem with chronic tinnitus isn’t just that you have a ringing in your ears. The real issue is that the ringing won’t stop.
The continuous noise, perhaps rather modest in volume, may begin as little more than a nuisance. But the ringing can become frustrating and even debilitating if it goes on for days or months or more.
That’s why it’s vital to have some tips you can rely on, tips that make living with tinnitus less difficult. It can make a big difference if you have a plan when you’re lying in bed struggling to fall asleep because of the ringing or buzzing in your ear.
How You Can Exacerbate Your Tinnitus
Chronic tinnitus, in fact, is commonly not a static problem. Symptoms manifest themselves in spikes and valleys. There are times when your tinnitus is mild and practically lost in the background. At other times the sounds will be shrieking in your ears so loudly it’s impossible to disregard.
This can be a really uncertain and frightening situation. Maybe you even get panic attacks while driving to work because you’re concerned about your tinnitus flaring up while you’re in a meeting. That panic attack, in and of itself, can cause the very situation you’re worried about.
Tips For Coping With Tinnitus
You will be in a greater position to prepare for and manage tinnitus the more you understand about it. And management is crucial since tinnitus doesn’t have a known cure. There’s no reason that your quality of life has to suffer if you put in place the right treatment.
Tinnitus Retraining Therapy is One Approach
Many treatments for tinnitus involve some form of tinnitus retraining therapy (or TRT). The sound of rain on a rooftop is a common analogy: very apparent at the start of a storm, but you stop paying attention to it after a while and that rain-on-rooftops sound goes into the background. It’s the same basic strategy with TRT, teaching your brain to move that ringing into the background of your thoughts where it’s easier to disregard.
It can take practice to get this technique down.
Distract Your Brain
One reason tinnitus can be so frustrating is because your brain is continuously searching for the source of that noise, attempting to alert you to its presence. So supplying your brain with a variety of different sounds to concentrate on can be quite helpful. Try these:
- Take a book to the park and listen to the birds while you read.
- Play music while painting a picture.
- Read a book while taking a bubble bath.
You get the idea: Your tinnitus might be able to be decreased by engaging your brain.
Meditation, as an alternate path, helps you concentrate your attention on a mantra, or your breathing which helps take your focus away from your tinnitus. Some individuals have discovered that meditation decreases their blood pressure, which can also be helpful with tinnitus.
Think about a Hearing Aid For Tinnitus Management
Hearing aids that help minimize tinnitus symptoms are already being developed by a number of hearing aid companies. This solution is very convenient because they are small and out of your way compared to other approaches. You can relax and let a discreet hearing aid deal with the ringing for you.
Have a Plan (And Stick to it)
The impact of some tinnitus episodes can be minimized, and your stress reaction can be controlled if you have a good plan for any surges in your symptoms. Plan on having a “go bag” containing things you may need. Anything that will help you be more ready and keep you from panicking, like making a list of practical exercises, will go a long way toward management.
Management is Key
There is no cure for tinnitus which is usually chronic. But that doesn’t mean that individuals can’t regulate and treat their tinnitus. These everyday tips (and more similar to them) can help make certain you are living with tinnitus, and not suffering from tinnitus.
Call Today to Set Up an Appointment
References
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3303565/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5050200/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17956798/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4447068/
https://journals.plos.org/ploscompbiol/article?id=10.1371/journal.pcbi.1008664