The real problem with chronic tinnitus is not simply that you have a ringing in your ears. It’s the continual non-stop ringing, that’s the real problem.
The constant noise, perhaps somewhat modest in volume, might begin as little more than a nuisance. But after a day or a week or a month, that buzzing or ringing can become aggravating, frustrating, even incapacitating.
That’s why it’s crucial 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 buzzing or ringing in your ear.
Your Tinnitus Can be Exacerbated
Chronic tinnitus, in fact, is commonly not a static condition. Symptoms manifest themselves in spikes and valleys. There are times when your tinnitus is mild and virtually lost in the background. At other times, that ringing could be as hard to ignore as a full-blown, individualized symphony.
This can be a very uncertain and scary situation. Maybe you even get panic attacks while driving to work because you’re worried about your tinnitus flaring up during a meeting. That panic attack, in and of itself, can lead to the very situation you’re worried about.
Tips For Living With Tinnitus
The more you know about tinnitus, the better you can plan for and manage the effects. And management is crucial since tinnitus has no known cure. With the correct treatment, there’s no reason that chronic tinnitus needs to negatively impact your quality of life.
Tinnitus Retraining Therapy is One Approach
Tinnitus retraining therapy (TRT) is a standard strategy for tinnitus management. The sound of rain on a roof is a common analogy: it’s very loud and obvious when it first starts but by the end of the storm you stop focusing on it and recedes 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 dismiss.
It can take practice to master this method.
Distract Your Brain
Your brain is continuously searching for the source of the sound and that’s one of the reasons why tinnitus can be so aggravating. So giving your brain more (and varied) stimulation to focus on can be helpful. You could:
- Do some drawing or painting while listening to music.
- Take a bubble bath and read a book.
- Enjoy some time outdoors listening to the sounds of nature.
You get the gist: Your tinnitus might be able to be reduced by engaging your brain.
Alternately, many people have found that meditation helps because it concentrates your attention on something else, your breathing, a mantra, and so on. Another advantage of meditation, at least for some people, is that it can lower blood pressure which is a common cause of tinnitus symptoms.
Manage Tinnitus With a Hearing Aid
Numerous hearing aid companies have developed hearing aids that help reduce the ringing in your ear. Hearing aids are an ideal solution because you put them in and can forget about them the entire day, you won’t need to carry around a white noise machine or constantly use an app. You can relax and let a discreet hearing aid manage the ringing for you.
Make a Plan (And Stick to it)
The effect of some tinnitus episodes can be decreased, and your stress response can be controlled if you have a good plan for any surges in your symptoms. Pack a bag of useful items to bring with you. Anything that can help you be ready for a tinnitus spike, even making a list of useful exercises will be good because it will keep you from panicking!
Management is Key
There is no cure for tinnitus which is often chronic. But that doesn’t mean that individuals can’t regulate and treat their tinnitus. Make certain you are managing your tinnitus not suffering from it by utilizing these tips and any others that you find helpful.
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