With chronic tinnitus, it’s not the ringing in your ears that’s the actual issue. The real issue is that the ringing won’t stop.
The continuous noise, possibly somewhat moderate in volume, may begin as little more than an annoyance. But the ringing can become aggravating and even debilitating if it goes on for days or months or more.
That’s why it’s critical that if you are coping with tinnitus you follow some tips to make life easier. When you’re lying in bed, having trouble falling asleep because you keep hearing buzzing from your left ear, having a plan is going to do you a world of good.
Your Tinnitus Can be Made Worse
Chronic tinnitus, in fact, is frequently not a static problem. There are spikes and valleys in the presentation of symptoms. Sometimes, your tinnitus may be an afterthought, lost in the background of everyday life. At other times, that ringing could be as hard to dismiss as a full-blown, individualized symphony.
This can be a really uncertain and frightening situation. You might be so concerned about your tinnitus flaring up while you’re in 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 cause the tinnitus.
Tips For Living With Tinnitus
You will be in a better position to prepare for and manage tinnitus the more you know about it. And management is critical since tinnitus has no known cure. There’s no reason that your quality of life has to suffer if you put in place the proper treatment.
Tinnitus Retraining Therapy is One Option
Several treatments for tinnitus involve some form of tinnitus retraining therapy (or TRT). The sound of rain on a rooftop 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. TRT uses the same principle to train your brain to move the tinnitus symptoms into the background of your thoughts so you will have an easier time ignoring them.
Perfecting this strategy can take a bit of practice.
Distract Your Brain
One reason tinnitus can be so infuriating is because your brain is constantly searching for the source of that noise, trying to alert you to its presence. So supplying your brain with a range of different sounds to focus on can be really helpful. Try these:
- Enjoy a book while taking a bubble bath.
- Bring a book to the park and listen to the birds while reading.
- Have music playing while you paint a picture.
You get the idea: engaging your brain can help you control your tinnitus.
Alternately, many individuals have discovered that meditation helps because it focuses your attention on something else, your breath, a mantra, and etc. Another benefit of meditation, at least for some, is that it can lower blood pressure which is a known cause of tinnitus symptoms.
Consider a Hearing Aid For Tinnitus Management
Many hearing aid companies have developed hearing aids that help reduce the ringing in your ear. Hearing aids are an ideal option because you put them in and can forget about it the whole day, you won’t need to carry around a white noise machine or constantly listen to an app. You can relax and let a discreet hearing aid manage the ringing for you.
Have a Plan (And Follow-Through)
The impact of some tinnitus episodes can be lessened, and your stress response can be controlled if you have a good plan for any surges in your symptoms. Consider having a “go bag” full of stuff you might need. Anything that will help you be more ready and keep you from having a panic attack, like making a list of helpful exercises, will go a long way toward management.
The Key is Management
There’s no cure for tinnitus which is usually chronic. But management and treatment of tinnitus is a very real possibility. Make sure you are dealing with your tinnitus not suffering from it by utilizing these tips and any others that you find helpful.
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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