What Lifestyle Factors Influence Tinnitus

Tinnitus is a low frequency noise that occurs after hearing a loud blast near your ear or because of long term exposure to high decibel levels. There may not be any immediate cure for tinnitus but there are some lifestyle factors that can exacerbate the problem. In this article, we look at some of the ways you choose to live can affect your tinnitus condition.

Your ability to concentrate

Imagine sitting in your home office writing a report. It’s quite outside. Then a car alarm goes off and catches your attention for a moment. Most people dismiss it since it only disturbs you momentarily. Well, tinnitus is like the alarm going off continuously in your ear. This type of irritation can seriously affect your mental and emotional wellbeing, as well as your livelihood. If you can’t concentrate on your work you can’t meet your important deadlines, which lets people down and damages your reputation. There are some lifestyle changes you can make to influence your experience of tinnitus. The first thing you could try is a hearing device or external machine to drown out the noise. These can be fairly effective.

Your emotional reactions

Emotional reactions are another factor that can affect your tinnitus. Everyone had different emotional reactions to stimulus and different sensibilities, so the extent that tinnitus will affect you depends on how sensitive you are emotionally or how well you can handle emotional states. Tinnitus is usually a continuous low frequency noise that persists in the inner ear. When you’re trying to concentrate or function day to day it can be frustrating, stressful, depressing, and worrying. On the other hand, it can be a temporary experience that doesn’t cause you any concern. Consider how you respond to tinnitus emotionally and if it is causing you any undue stress or frustration. You could try meditation or mindfulness to inhabit your emotional space more constructively or look into getting a hearing device from your audiologist. There are many good ones that can help.

Consider you sleeping patterns

If you find you are not sleeping properly at night or you wake up too early for no reason, the cause could be related to tinnitus in your ears. Depending on the severity of the issue tinnitus can prevent you from getting enough sleep which causes issues in other areas of your life. What’s more sleep deprivation caused by tinnitus might make the tinnitus worse. You might hear the low frequency noise coming through more strongly and you will be less emotionally equipped to handle the extra stress. This will have a further bearing on your tinnitus condition and worsen its effects. If you feel like your sleep is being affected by tinnitus it’s time to consult your audiologist. They will perform a hearing test to diagnose the extent of the tinnitus problem and offer several solutions. These solutions might consist of hearing devices or external devices. They might also include lifestyle changes.

Paying attention to tinnitus

Tinnitus may only be a problem for you if you notice the low frequency noise in your life and you give it some meaning. Some people, for instance, might hear the low frequency noise and think they have a brain problem like a tumor. Others just can’t bear the sound. There are some lifestyle factors that can make the experience of tinnitus seem worse. If you spend a lot of time in a quiet space you might start to notice the ringing. Then it’s time to decide if your tinnitus is bad enough to warrant a formal solution. Lack of sleep may also be a lifestyle factor that flags the tinnitus condition for you. Maybe you have tried to get to the bottom of your sleep deprivation and only tinnitus is left. If tinnitus is affecting your sleep it’s important to contact your audiologist.

A lack of control

As mentioned previously your emotional lifestyle can have a direct effect on whether or not tinnitus is a problem in your life. A lot of this comes down to control and emotional restraint. It’s the difference between someone who gets upset and worried when they hear low frequency noise and someone who accepts it. If you hear this low frequency noise in your life and it concerns you, the next step is to contact your local audiologist for a hearing exam. Your audiologist will diagnose the problems and offer solutions such as a hearing device or some lifestyle changes. Learn more about Armand’s Hearing Center by calling us today at Bradenton: (941) 357-2054, Sun City: (813) 990-0335.