With chronic tinnitus, it isn’t the ringing in your ears that’s the actual issue. It’s the continuous never ending ringing, that’s the real problem.
The constant noise, perhaps rather modest in volume, might start as little more than a nuisance. But the ringing can become frustrating and even debilitating if it continues for days or months or more.
That’s why it’s essential that if you are coping with tinnitus you adhere to some tips to make life easier. It can make a huge 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.
Your Tinnitus Can be Made Worse
It’s important to remember that tinnitus is frequently not static. There are increases and decreases in the manifestation of symptoms. Sometimes, your tinnitus might be an afterthought, hidden in the background of daily life. At other times the noises will be screaming in your ears so loudly it’s impossible to disregard.
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
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 establish the right treatment.
Tinnitus Retraining Therapy is One Approach
Several treatments for tinnitus involve some kind 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 begins but by the end of the storm you stop paying attention to it and fades into the background. It’s the same basic idea with TRT, training your brain to move that ringing into the background of your attention where it’s easier to dismiss.
Mastering this strategy can take some practice.
Get Your Brain Distracted
One reason tinnitus can be so infuriating is because your brain is continuously searching for the source of that sound, attempting to alert you to its presence. So supplying your brain with a range of different sounds to concentrate on can be very helpful. You could:
- Enjoy some time outdoors listening to the sounds of nature.
- Play music while you paint a picture.
- Take a bubble bath and read a book.
You get the gist: Your tinnitus may be able to be reduced by engaging your brain.
Alternately, many people have discovered that meditation helps because it focuses your attention on something else, your breath, a mantra, and so on. Some people have found that meditation reduces their blood pressure, which can also be helpful with tinnitus.
Think about a Hearing Aid For Tinnitus Management
Hearing aids that help reduce tinnitus symptoms are already being manufactured by a number of hearing aid companies. Hearing aids are an ideal solution because you put them in and can forget about them the whole day, you don’t need to carry around a white noise generator or constantly listen to an app. The ringing will be managed by the hearing aid and you can relax and enjoy your life.
Make a Plan (And Stick to it)
The effect of some tinnitus episodes can be lessened, and your stress reaction can be managed if you have a practical plan for any spikes in your symptoms. Plan on having a “go bag” full of things 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
Chronic tinnitus is an affliction that has no known cure. But control and treatment of tinnitus is a very real potential. These everyday tips (and more similar to them) can help make certain 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
