With chronic tinnitus, it’s not the ringing in your ears that’s the real problem. It’s the continual never ending ringing, that’s the real issue.
At first, this might be a moderate noise that’s not much more than a bit irritating. But the ringing can become aggravating and even debilitating if it persists for days or months or more.
That’s why it’s essential to have some tips you can rely on, tips that make living with tinnitus simpler. It can make a big difference if you have a plan when you’re lying in bed unable to fall asleep because of the ringing or buzzing in your ear.
How You Can Worsen Your Tinnitus
Chronic tinnitus, in fact, is often not a static problem. Symptoms present themselves in spikes and valleys. There are times when your tinnitus is minimal and virtually lost in the background. At other times the sounds will be shrieking in your ears so loudly it’s impossible to ignore.
This can be a really uncertain and frightening situation. You might be so worried about your tinnitus flaring up during a meeting that you have a panic attack while you’re driving to work. And the very panic attack brought on by this worry can itself trigger the tinnitus.
Tips For Living With Tinnitus
You will be in a better position to prepare for and control tinnitus the more you understand about it. And management is critical since tinnitus doesn’t have a known cure. With the appropriate treatment, there’s no reason that chronic tinnitus has to negatively impact your quality of life.
Think About Tinnitus Retraining Therapy
Several treatment options for tinnitus incorporate some kind of tinnitus retraining therapy (or TRT). The sound of rain on a rooftop is a common analogy: it’s very loud and noticeable when it first starts but by the time the storm is ending you stop paying attention to it and recedes into the background. It’s the same basic concept with TRT, teaching your brain to move that ringing into the background of your attention where it’s easier to disregard.
Mastering this method can take a bit of practice.
Get Your Brain Distracted
One reason tinnitus can be so infuriating is because your brain is constantly looking 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:
- Do some drawing or painting while listening to music.
- Bring a book to the park and listen to the birds while you read.
- Enjoy a book while soaking in a bubble bath.
You get the point: Your tinnitus may be able to be decreased by engaging your brain.
Alternately, many individuals have discovered that meditation helps because it focuses your attention on something else, your breathing, a mantra, and etc. Another benefit of meditation, at least for some people, is that it can decrease blood pressure which is a common cause of tinnitus symptoms.
Manage Tinnitus With a Hearing Aid
Hearing aids that help decrease tinnitus symptoms are already being developed by several hearing aid companies. This option is very convenient because they are small and out of your way compared to other strategies. The ringing will be managed by the hearing aid and you can relax and enjoy your life.
Make a Plan (And Follow-Through)
Making a plan for unexpected surges can help you control your stress-out response, and that can help you minimize certain tinnitus episodes (or at least keep from exacerbating them). Think about having a “go bag” full of things you might need. Anything that will help you be more prepared and keep you from panicking, like making a list of practical exercises, will go a long way toward management.
Management is Key
Chronic tinnitus is an affliction that has no known cure. But management and treatment of tinnitus is a very real possibility. These everyday tips (and more like them) can help make sure you are living with tinnitus, and not suffering from tinnitus.
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