The real problem with chronic tinnitus is not simply that you have a ringing in your ears. It’s the continuous non-stop ringing, that’s the real problem.
The continuous noise, possibly somewhat moderate in volume, may begin as little more than a nuisance. But the ringing can become aggravating and even incapacitating if it goes on for days or months or more.
That’s why it’s critical that if you are living 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 unable to fall asleep because of the ringing or buzzing in your ear.
Your Tinnitus Can be Made Worse
Chronic tinnitus, in fact, is frequently not a static condition. There are increases and decreases in the manifestation of symptoms. There are times when your tinnitus is minimal and practically lost in the background. At other times, that ringing could be as difficult to dismiss as a full-blown, personalized symphony.
This can be a very uncertain and scary situation. Perhaps you even experience panic attacks while driving to work because you’re concerned about your tinnitus flaring up during a meeting. And the very panic attack brought on by this worry can itself trigger the tinnitus.
Tips For Coping With Tinnitus
The more you understand about tinnitus, the better you can prepare for and manage the effects. And, because there’s no known cure for tinnitus, management of symptoms is vital. With the correct management, there’s no reason that chronic tinnitus needs to negatively impact your quality of life.
Tinnitus Retraining Therapy is One Option
Many treatments for tinnitus involve some kind of tinnitus retraining therapy (or TRT). The sound of rain on a roof 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 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.
It can take practice to master this technique.
Distract Your Brain
One of the reasons that tinnitus can be so frustrating is because your brain is constantly looking for the source of that sound, attempting to signal you to its presence. So giving your brain more (and varied) stimulation to concentrate on can help. Try these:
- Take a bubble bath while reading a book.
- Do some drawing or painting while listening to music.
- Enjoy some time outside listening to the sounds of nature.
You get the gist: Your tinnitus may be able to be reduced by engaging your brain.
Alternately, many individuals have found that meditation helps because it concentrates 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.
Manage Tinnitus With a Hearing Aid
Hearing aids that help decrease tinnitus symptoms are already being manufactured by numerous hearing aid companies. Hearing aids are an ideal option because you put them in and can forget about them the whole day, you won’t need to carry around a white noise machine or constantly listen to an app. The ringing will be handled by the hearing aid and you can relax and enjoy your life.
Make a Plan (And Follow-Through)
The impact of some tinnitus episodes can be decreased, and your stress reaction can be controlled if you have a good plan for any spikes 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 creating a list of useful exercises will be beneficial because it will keep you from having a panic attack!
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 daily 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
