With chronic tinnitus, it isn’t the ringing in your ears that’s the actual issue. The real issue is that the ringing doesn’t stop.

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

That’s why it’s essential 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 ringing or buzzing in your ear.

How You Can Worsen Your Tinnitus

It’s beneficial to keep in mind that tinnitus is often not static. There are increases and decreases in the manifestation of symptoms. There are times when your tinnitus is mild and practically lost in the background. At other times, that ringing could be as difficult to ignore as a full-blown, individualized symphony.

That can leave you in a very frightening place of uncertainty. You might be so concerned about your tinnitus flaring up during a meeting that you have a panic attack while you’re driving to work. And the very panic attack caused by this worry can itself cause the tinnitus.

Tips For Coping With Tinnitus

The more you know about tinnitus, the better you can prepare for and control the effects. And, because there’s no known cure for tinnitus, control of symptoms is vital. There’s no reason that your quality of life needs to suffer if you establish the proper treatment.

Tinnitus Retraining Therapy is One Option

Many treatment options for tinnitus involve some kind of tinnitus retraining therapy (or TRT). The analogy that gets floated around frequently is the sound of rain on your rooftops: it’s very loud and noticeable when it first starts but by the time the storm is ending you stop paying attention to it and fades into the background. It’s the same basic concept with TRT, teaching your brain to move that ringing into the background of your attention where it’s easier to ignore.

Mastering this method can take some practice.

Distract Your Brain

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 supplying your brain with a variety of different sounds to focus on can be quite helpful. You could:

• Take a bubble bath while reading a book.
• Play music while you paint a picture.
• Enjoy some time outside listening to the sounds of nature.

You get the gist: Your tinnitus might be able to be reduced by engaging your brain.

Meditation, as an alternate approach, helps you focus your attention on a mantra, or your breathing which helps take your focus away from your tinnitus. Some people have discovered that meditation lowers their blood pressure, which can also be helpful with tinnitus.

Think about a Hearing Aid For Tinnitus Management

Hearing aids that help minimize tinnitus symptoms are already being manufactured by numerous hearing aid companies. Hearing aids are an ideal option because you put them in and can forget about them the entire day, you don’t need to carry around a white noise generator or constantly use an app. The ringing will be managed by the hearing aid and you can relax and enjoy your life.

Make a Plan (And Follow-Through)

The effect of some tinnitus episodes can be decreased, and your stress reaction can be controlled if you have a practical plan for any surges in your symptoms. Pack a bag of practical items to bring with you. Anything that will help you be more ready and keep you from panicking, like making a list of helpful exercises, will go a long way toward management.

Management is Key

Chronic tinnitus is a condition that has no known cure. But management and treatment of tinnitus is a very real potential. Make sure you are managing your tinnitus not suffering from it by using 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