The real problem with chronic tinnitus is not just that you have a ringing in your ears. It’s the continuous never ending ringing, that’s the real issue.
At first, this may be a mild noise that’s not much more than a bit annoying. But the ringing can become aggravating and even debilitating if it goes on for days or months or more.
That’s why it’s crucial that if you are living with tinnitus you follow 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 do you a world of good.
How You Can Exacerbate Your Tinnitus
Chronic tinnitus, after all, is frequently not a static condition. There are spikes and valleys in the manifestation of symptoms. There are times when your tinnitus is minor and practically lost in the background. At other times the noises will be shrieking in your ears so loudly it’s impossible to ignore.
This can be a really uncertain and frightening situation. You might be so concerned about your tinnitus flaring up during a meeting that you get a panic attack while driving to work. And the very panic attack caused 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, because there’s no known cure for tinnitus, management of symptoms is essential. With the proper management, there’s no reason that chronic tinnitus has to negatively impact your quality of life.
Think About Tinnitus Retraining Therapy
Tinnitus retraining therapy (TRT) is a common strategy for tinnitus management. The sound of rain on a roof is a common analogy: very obvious at the beginning of a storm, but you stop paying attention to it after a while and that rain-on-rooftops sound goes into the background. It’s the same basic strategy with TRT, teaching your brain to move that ringing into the background of your thoughts where it’s easier to disregard.
It can take training to master this technique.
Distract Your Brain
One reason tinnitus can be so frustrating is because your brain is constantly looking for the source of that sound, attempting to alert you to its presence. So giving your brain more (and varied) stimuli to focus on can be helpful. Try these:
- Enjoy a book while soaking in a bubble bath.
- Enjoy some time outdoors listening to the sounds of nature.
- Do some drawing or painting while playing music.
You get the point: engaging your brain can help you manage your tinnitus.
Alternately, many people have found that meditation helps because it focuses your attention on something else, your breath, a mantra, and etc. Some individuals have discovered that meditation reduces their blood pressure, which can also be helpful with tinnitus.
Manage Tinnitus With a Hearing Aid
Several hearing aid companies have developed hearing aids that help reduce the ringing in your ear. This solution is very convenient because they are small and out of your way compared to other approaches. You can relax and let a discreet hearing aid deal with the ringing for you.
Make 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 spikes in your symptoms. Plan on having a “go bag” full of things you might need. Anything that will help you be more prepared and keep you from panicking, 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 that doesn’t mean that people cannot manage and treat their tinnitus. 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