Tips for Managing Tinnitus

Tips for Managing Tinnitus

In Hearing Loss by Aaron Gingrich

What does will.i.am have in common with William Shatner? They both suffer from tinnitus. You experience tinnitus as a ringing in your ears. It may even sound like hissing, screaming, pulsing, chirping, whistling, or clicking. It can be in one ear or both ears.

Tinnitus is widespread. Most of us, at some point, have heard ringing in our ears. An estimated 14 to 16 million people seek medical help for tinnitus, and this is the number one disorder bought back by military personnel from war. Tinnitus can be a temporary problem for others, but tinnitus can be persistent and distracting for others.

Tinnitus Symptoms

The precise cause of the tinnitus is not understood. One thing we all know is you don’t believe it. Chances are the origin. If you have tinnitus would remain a mystery.

  • Hearing loss
  • Ménière’s disease
  • A burst of extreme noise
  • Migraines
  • Head injury
  • Medications or medicines that are detrimental to hearing
  • Anemia
  • High blood pressure
  • Stress
  • Impacted earwax
  • Some forms of tumors
  • Consuming a lot of caffeine
  • Smoking cigarettes

Some might find that their tinnitus seems to flare up when they are trying to sleep. This happens because it is quieter at that time, so the sounds become more noticeable.

What can I do about tinnitus?

For most cases of chronic tinnitus, there is currently no clinically proven cure— this is because the vast majority of cases are believed to be from sensorineural hearing loss. The quest for a tinnitus cure is underway, and real progress is being made, but currently, there is no scientifically validated way to remove the experience of tinnitus altogether.

Nevertheless, there are excellent resources to help patients control their condition, treatments that reduce the perceived tinnitus severity, and duration. Such therapies currently available are not “cures “— they do not repair the root causes of tinnitus, nor do they remove the tinnitus signal in the brain. Instead, they discuss tinnitus’s attentional, emotional, and cognitive effect. They help patients lead safer, more satisfying, and successful lives, even though the tinnitus experience remains.

Here are some of these tinnitus management strategies:

Sound therapies: These audio devices may be helpful during quiet periods or at night as they mask the sound of the tinnitus. There are machines in-store that you can purchase. Or, you can find apps that make sounds on your smartphone. Sounds include the ocean, rain, or white noise.

Mindfulness: Mindfulness is a type of meditation which is about learning to pay special attention to our physical experience. Mindfulness does not seek to’ fix’ tinnitus or make it go away, but instead to make it less distracting, to the point that people no longer have a problem. It teaches us how to live with challenges like tinnitus, without battling it or modifying it. Practicing it will help you respond to tinnitus by promoting gentle engagement, curiosity, non-judgment, and even acceptance, rather than “fighting” or “pushing it away.” Mindfulness is not aimed at altering the essence or sound of the tinnitus, but it can allow us to come to a better relationship with it.

Talking to someone: Those around you might not realize just how distressing the experience of tinnitus can get, so they may not be able to provide you with the kind of help you need. Talking to someone who has tinnitus experience can be truly helpful. It can be motivating to meet people who have been through the same things that you are experiencing right now. Tinnitus support groups are located across the US. Not only can you pick up ideas from others, but you can gain (and give) help only by sharing your experience with others who understand that they have been there.

Take a hearing test: The majority of tinnitus sufferers often experience hearing loss to some degree. The two conditions can be associated, as they frequently follow one another. Some researchers suggest that subjective tinnitus can only occur if it has previously impaired the auditory system. The loss of specific sound frequencies due to hearing loss may change the way the brain processes sound, causing the tinnitus to adjust and fill in the gaps. Usually, the underlying hearing loss stems from exposure to noisy sounds or advanced age. That’s why you should get a hearing test if you have tinnitus, as it is very likely you have hearing loss too.

Hearing aids: Hearing aids help improve tinnitus symptoms in two ways: First, by raising the overall level of sound, tinnitus is naturally masked. Second, many hearing aids come with a bank of sounds designed to mask the sound of tinnitus, similar to how a sound machine would work.

At Absolute Audio, we use the most innovative and high-quality tools and therapies to establish an effective tinnitus treatment plan specifically designed to suit your unique needs, including Masking Devices and Hearing Aids, Tinnitus Retraining Therapy and Lifestyle change tips. For more details, please contact us today!