The actual problem with chronic tinnitus is not just that you have a ringing in your ears. The real problem is that the ringing won’t stop.

At first, this may be a moderate noise that’s not much more than a little irritating. But the ringing can become frustrating and even debilitating if it persists for days or months or more.

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 big 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 beneficial to keep in mind that tinnitus is often not static. There are spikes and valleys in the presentation of symptoms. Sometimes, your tinnitus may be an afterthought, hidden in the background of everyday life. At other times the noises will be shrieking in your ears so loudly it’s impossible to dismiss.

This can be a very uncertain and frightening situation. Maybe you even experience panic attacks while driving to work because you’re concerned about your tinnitus flaring up while you’re in a meeting. And the very panic attack brought on by this worry can itself cause the tinnitus.

Tips For Living With Tinnitus

The more you know about tinnitus, the better you can prepare for and manage the effects. And management is the key since tinnitus has no known cure. With the correct treatment, there’s no reason that chronic tinnitus needs to negatively affect 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 rooftop is a common analogy: it’s very loud and obvious 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 idea with TRT, training your brain to move that ringing into the background of your thoughts where it’s easier to dismiss.

It can take practice to get this technique down.

Get Your Brain Distracted

Your brain is constantly looking for the source of the sound and that’s one of the reasons why tinnitus can be so aggravating. So giving your brain a variety of different sounds to focus on can be quite helpful. Try these:

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

You get the gist: engaging your brain can help you manage your tinnitus.

Meditation, as an alternate path, 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 decreases their blood pressure, which can also be helpful with tinnitus.

Consider a Hearing Aid For Tinnitus Management

Numerous 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. You can relax and let a discreet hearing aid manage the ringing for you.

Have a Plan (And Stick to it)

Having a plan for unforeseen spikes can help you control your stress-out response, and that can help you decrease certain tinnitus episodes (or at least keep from exacerbating them). Pack a bag of useful items to take with you. Anything that will help you be more prepared and keep you from having a panic attack, like making a list of helpful exercises, will go a long way toward management.

Management is Key

Chronic tinnitus is an affliction that has no known cure. But that doesn’t mean that people cannot 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