The actual problem with chronic tinnitus isn’t just that you have a ringing in your ears. It’s the continual never ending ringing, that’s the real issue.
At first, this might be a mild noise that’s not much more than a bit irritating. But the ringing can become aggravating and even debilitating if it persists for days or months or more.
That’s why it’s essential that if you are living with tinnitus you follow 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 buzzing or ringing in your ear.
How You Can Exacerbate Your Tinnitus
It’s beneficial to remember that tinnitus is frequently not static. Symptoms manifest themselves in spikes and valleys. At times, your tinnitus may be an afterthought, lost in the background of daily life. At other times the sounds will be screaming in your ears so loudly it’s impossible to dismiss.
This can be a very uncertain and frightening situation. You may be so worried about your tinnitus flaring up during a meeting that you have a panic attack while driving to work. And the very panic attack caused by this worry can itself trigger the tinnitus.
Tips For Living With Tinnitus
You will be in a greater position to prepare for and manage tinnitus the more you know about it. And management is critical since tinnitus doesn’t have a known cure. With the right management, there’s no reason that chronic tinnitus has to negatively impact your quality of life.
Tinnitus Retraining Therapy is One Option
Several treatment options for tinnitus incorporate some form of tinnitus retraining therapy (or TRT). The sound of rain on a roof is a common analogy: it’s very loud and noticeable when it first begins but by the time the storm is ending you stop focusing on it and recedes into the background. It’s the same basic idea with TRT, teaching your brain to move that ringing into the background of your thoughts where it’s easier to disregard.
Mastering this technique can take some practice.
Get Your Brain Distracted
Your brain is constantly looking for the source of the sound and that’s one of the reasons why tinnitus can be so aggravating. So supplying your brain with a range of different sounds to focus on can be quite helpful. You could:
- Play music while painting a picture.
- Take a bubble bath and read a book.
- Enjoy some time outdoors listening to the sounds of nature.
You get the point: engaging your brain can help you manage your tinnitus.
Alternately, many individuals have discovered that meditation helps because it concentrates your attention on something else, your breathing, a mantra, and so on. Some people have discovered that meditation decreases 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 developed by several hearing aid companies. Hearing aids are an ideal option because you put them in and can forget about it the whole day, you don’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.
Have a Plan (And Stick to it)
The effect of some tinnitus episodes can be lessened, and your stress reaction can be controlled if you have a good plan for any spikes in your symptoms. Consider having a “go bag” full of stuff you might need. Anything that will help you be more prepared and keep you from panicking, like making a list of practical exercises, will go a long way toward management.
Management is Key
There’s no cure for tinnitus which is often chronic. But that doesn’t mean that individuals cannot manage and treat their tinnitus. These daily tips (and more similar to them) can help make sure you are living with tinnitus, and not suffering from tinnitus.
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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