The real problem with chronic tinnitus is not simply that you have a ringing in your ears. The real issue is that the ringing doesn’t stop.
The constant noise, possibly somewhat modest 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 essential that if you are coping with tinnitus you adhere to some tips to make life easier. When you’re lying in bed, having difficulty falling asleep because you keep hearing buzzing from your left ear, having a plan is going to help you a lot.
Your Tinnitus Can be Made Worse
It’s important to remember that tinnitus is commonly not static. Symptoms manifest themselves in spikes and valleys. There are times when your tinnitus is mild and virtually lost in the background. In other moments, that ringing could be as difficult to ignore as a full-blown, personalized symphony.
This can be a really uncertain and frightening situation. You may be so worried about your tinnitus flaring up while you’re in a meeting that you have a panic attack while driving to work. That panic attack, in and of itself, can trigger the very situation you’re worried about.
Tips For Coping With Tinnitus
The more you know about tinnitus, the better you can prepare for and manage the effects. And management is the key 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 Approach
Tinnitus retraining therapy (TRT) is a standard approach to 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 time the storm is ending you stop paying attention to it and recedes into the background. TRT uses the same principle to teach your brain to push the tinnitus symptoms into the background of your thoughts so you will have an easier time tuning it out.
Perfecting this method can take some practice.
Get Your Brain Distracted
Your brain is continuously searching for the source of the noise and that’s one of the reasons why tinnitus can be so frustrating. So supplying your brain with more (and varied) stimulation to concentrate on can help. You could:
- Enjoy some time outside listening to the sounds of nature.
- Take a bubble bath and read a book.
- Do some drawing or painting while listening to music.
You get the gist: engaging your brain can help you control your tinnitus.
Alternately, many people have discovered that meditation helps because it focuses your attention on something else, your breath, a mantra, and etc. Some people have found that meditation decreases their blood pressure, which can also be helpful with tinnitus.
Think about a Hearing Aid For Tinnitus Management
Hearing aids that help decrease tinnitus symptoms are already being developed by a number of hearing aid companies. Hearing aids are a great option because you put them in and can forget about it the entire day, you don’t need to carry around a white noise machine or constantly use an app. The ringing will be managed by the hearing aid and you can relax and enjoy your life.
Have a Plan (And Follow-Through)
The effect of some tinnitus episodes can be lessened, and your stress response can be controlled if you have a practical plan for any spikes in your symptoms. Pack a bag of practical items to take with you. Anything that will help you be more prepared 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 a condition that has no known cure. But control and treatment of tinnitus is a very real potential. Make certain 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