The actual issue with chronic tinnitus is not just that you have a ringing in your ears. It’s the constant non-stop ringing, that’s the real problem.

At first, this might be a moderate noise that’s not much more than a bit annoying. But after a day or a week or a month, that buzzing or ringing can become aggravating, frustrating, even incapacitating.

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 big difference if you have a plan when you’re lying in bed struggling to fall asleep because of the ringing or buzzing in your ear.

Your Tinnitus Can be Exacerbated

Chronic tinnitus, in fact, is frequently not a static condition. There are spikes and valleys in the presentation of symptoms. There are times when your tinnitus is minimal and practically lost in the background. At other times the sounds will be screaming in your ears so loudly it’s impossible to disregard.

This can be a very uncertain and scary situation. Maybe you even experience panic attacks while driving to work because you’re concerned about your tinnitus flaring up during a meeting. That panic attack, in and of itself, can lead to the very episode you’re worried about.

Tips For Coping With Tinnitus

The more you know about tinnitus, the better you can plan for and manage the effects. And management is the key since tinnitus doesn’t have a known cure. With the appropriate treatment, there’s no reason that chronic tinnitus has to negatively impact your quality of life.

Tinnitus Retraining Therapy is One Option

Many treatment options for tinnitus include some kind of tinnitus retraining therapy (or TRT). The sound of rain on a roof is a common analogy: very noticeable at the beginning of a storm, but you stop focusing on it after a while and that rain-on-rooftops sound fades into the background. TRT uses the same concept to train your brain to move the tinnitus symptoms into the background of your thoughts so you will have an easier time ignoring them.

Perfecting this method can take some practice.

Distract Your Brain

One reason tinnitus can be so frustrating is because your brain is continuously looking for the source of that noise, trying to signal you to its presence. So giving your brain more (and varied) stimuli to concentrate on can help. You could:

• Enjoy some time outside listening to the sounds of nature.
• Have music playing while you paint a picture.
• Enjoy a book while taking a bubble bath.

You get the point: Your tinnitus may be able to be reduced by engaging your brain.

Alternately, many people have discovered that meditation helps because it concentrates your attention on something else, your breath, a mantra, and so on. Another advantage of meditation, at least for some, is that it can decrease blood pressure which is a common cause of tinnitus symptoms.

Think about a Hearing Aid For Tinnitus Management

Hearing aids that help reduce tinnitus symptoms are already being manufactured by a number of hearing aid companies. This solution is really 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 effect of some tinnitus episodes can be decreased, and your stress response can be managed if you have a good plan for any surges in your symptoms. Think about having a “go bag” containing things you might need. Anything that can help you be ready for a tinnitus surge, even generating a list of helpful exercises will be good because it will keep you from having a panic attack!

Management is Key

There is no cure for tinnitus which is often chronic. But that doesn’t mean that individuals can’t regulate and treat their tinnitus. Make sure you are managing 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