Coping with Tinnitus

Are you experiencing the symptoms of tinnitus? Tinnitus is a condition which causes you to hear noises that aren’t there. The volume and consistency of this noise can differ from person to person. The type of noise can also change. It could be a whistling, a whirring or even a piece of music playing on repeat. While not considered serious, this condition, commonly caused when loud noise damages the ears can have a serious impact on your life. It can cause issues with concentration and even impact your mood. So, let’s look at some of the best ways to find relief from this condition.

Avoid anxiety and stress

There are things that are known to trigger tinnitus or at least make it more noticeable. Stress and anxiety are two of the most common triggers, and that is why it is important that you stay away from them as much as possible. It is not always going to be possible to avoid stress in your life especially with a job, but do the best that you can. You can learn some breathing techniques that will help to calm you down when you are in a stressful situation which is a coping mechanism that a lot of people with tinnitus use. You could also try taking up yoga to help with this. Yoga is known to be a natural stress reliever and is very popular with people looking to get rid of stress and anxiety from their lives. If you are someone who enjoys being active and having something productive to do that is also going to help you live with your tinnitus, then this is going to be an excellent option for you.

Watch what you eat and drink

Like mentioned above, there are certain things that trigger tinnitus. For example, coffee is one of the triggers that a lot of people report having. The caffeine levels in the drink can make the effects of our tinnitus much worse than they usually are. However, you might experience different food and drink triggers. If this is the case, you should be making a note of them so that you know these are items to avoid. Most foods that are high in salt and sugar are usually linked to making tinnitus symptoms more noticeable. Anything that you know has a high sugar or salt content is something that you should avoid altogether or at least limit to once every now and then.

Consider therapy options

There are various therapeutic options for people who are suffering from tinnitus and an example of this would be retraining therapy. The idea of tinnitus retraining therapy is to task your mind by recognizing tinnitus as a subconscious thought rather than a conscious one. An example of a subconscious thought would be the ticking of a clock. The ticking of a clock is loud enough for us to hear clearly, but most people won’t because it is not considered to be relevant information. Retraining therapy teaches the mind that the sound from tinnitus is not relevant information either and therefore can be ignored. While the noise will still be there, you won’t hear it at a conscious level. Do be aware that is often easier to use this option through the day, compared to at night when there are fewer noises and your tinnitus can seem significantly louder. You might also require more typical forms of therapy if you are suffering from tinnitus. Those who are experiencing severe tinnitus can have emotional issues which need to be considered. Therapy can help you tackle these emotion problems head on and get the support you need.

Look at tech treatments

You can also look at tech treatment for tinnitus. A hearing instrument specialist will typically recommend hearing aids as one of the best ways to treat your tinnitus symptoms. While hearing aids are commonly used to treat hearing loss, they can be equipped with masking features to help override the sounds of tinnitus. When used with TRT, many people find they hardly notice the sounds at all over time. We hope this helps you understand how to live with tinnitus and get the help you require. The good thing about tinnitus is that it isn’t life-threatening, but it can still have a serious impact on your quality of life. It’s not uncommon for people suffering from this condition to experience depression and mood swings due to the anxiety it causes them. If you need more support or you think about might be suffering from tinnitus, Armand’s Hearing Center can help. Get in touch today at one of our two convenient locations:

• Bradenton: (941) 748-9800
• Sun City: (813) 938-1148