The actual issue with chronic tinnitus isn’t just that you have a ringing in your ears. The real problem is that the ringing won’t stop.
The constant noise, possibly rather moderate in volume, might start as little more than an annoyance. But the ringing can become aggravating and even incapacitating if it persists for days or months or more.
That’s why it’s crucial to have some tips to fall back on, tips that make living with tinnitus 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 Worsen Your Tinnitus
It’s important to remember that tinnitus is often not static. Symptoms manifest themselves in spikes and valleys. Sometimes, your tinnitus may 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 ignore.
That can leave you in a very frightening place of anxiety. Maybe you even get panic attacks while driving to work because you’re concerned about your tinnitus flaring up while you’re in a meeting. That panic attack, in and of itself, can trigger the very episode you’re concerned about.
Tips For Coping With Tinnitus
You will be in a better position to plan for and manage tinnitus the more you know about it. And, because there’s no known cure for tinnitus, management of symptoms is vital. With the appropriate treatment, there’s no reason that chronic tinnitus needs to negatively affect your quality of life.
Tinnitus Retraining Therapy is One Option
Many treatment options for tinnitus incorporate some form of tinnitus retraining therapy (or TRT). The analogy that gets floated around most often is the sound of rain on your rooftops: it’s very loud and noticeable 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, training your brain to move that ringing into the background of your thoughts where it’s easier to ignore.
Mastering this strategy can take some practice.
Get Your Brain Distracted
Your brain is continuously searching for the source of the sound and that’s one of the reasons why tinnitus can be so aggravating. So giving your brain more (and varied) stimulation to concentrate on can be helpful. Try these:
- Do some drawing or painting while listening to music.
- Take a book to the park and listen to the birds while you read.
- Read a book while taking a bubble bath.
You get the point: engaging your brain can help you control your tinnitus.
Alternately, many individuals have found that meditation helps because it focuses your attention on something else, your breathing, a mantra, and so on. Some individuals have found that meditation lowers their blood pressure, which can also help 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 really convenient because they are small and out of your way compared to other strategies. 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 lessened, and your stress response can be managed if you have a practical plan for any spikes in your symptoms. Pack a bag of practical items to take with you. Anything that can help you be ready for a tinnitus surge, even making a list of helpful exercises will be good because it will keep you from having a panic attack!
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. These daily tips (and more similar to them) can help make sure 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