5 Ways to Cope with Tinnitus
As we age, the things that used to be simple and effortless become increasingly challenging. From flights of stairs to cutting vegetables for our dinner, as our bodies age, the simple functions we take for granted – like the strength in our legs or the dexterity of our hands – begin to change, and not usually for the better.
If not dealt with properly, these changes can certainly take a toll on our lives, our relationships and our well-being. We might swap the stairs for an elevator, or invest in a chopping gadget to ease our tired fingers. But most of the time, we can find ways to cope and adapt to the physical changes we experience. But what happens when we experience changes to something that isn’t necessarily physical? How do we cope with a change that cannot be remedied with simple devices or even medication?
This is most certainly the challenge if you are learning to live with tinnitus. After all, tinnitus is subjective and still very misunderstood – the ringing that comes from within our ears is still nearly as mysterious to hearing scientists as it is to those who suffer from it.
From sleep disruption to depression and difficulty concentrating, severe tinnitus leaves many in such a state of stress that their relationships, jobs and even emotional well-being is at risk. But while hearing scientists still don’t have all of the answers for how and why tinnitus occurs, the condition’s sheer prevalence has helped spur on research into how to cope.
Although tinnitus still does not have a cure, if you are suffering from moderate to severe tinnitus, there are many ways of coping. In addition to talking to your hearing specialist, these 5 coping methods could help you take back control of your life and happiness while living with tinnitus.
Meditation
Tinnitus is largely a condition that is as subjective as it is internal. Much of the discomfort that tinnitus causes comes from our inability to focus on anything but uncomfortable ringing. And while constant, internal ringing in the ears doesn’t seem like a condition best treated with voluntary silence, it in fact can provide a perfect opportunity to tinnitus sufferers to gain more control over their condition.
Using something practitioners call “mindful meditation”, sufferers who put themselves in deliberate silence can, over time, condition their brains to come to terms with the constant white noise they experience. The concept behind meditative tinnitus treatment is facing the problem head on. Rather than relying on “distracting” noisers, meditation is a method that suggests more deliberate focus on controlling thoughts and emotional reactions can in turn help sufferers learn to co-exist with the ringing, rather than battle against it.
Exercise
Beyond just our physical well-being, exercise is something of a “cure all” for many kinds of ailments, including tinnitus. But just like building muscle or increasing cardiovascular strength, the effect that exercise has on tinnitus is directly related to how physical exertion affects our physiology.
Just like how exercise increases blood flow to our hands and feet, regular exercise also increases the blood that makes it to our ears. Getting our hearts pumping can change how the inner-workings of our ears are operating, which can in turn help ease the ringing that tinnitus causes.
And although scientists don’t yet understand exactly how and why increased blood flow reduces (albeit temporarily) the discomfort of tinnitus, some new research is already exploring the connection between the two. In the meantime, try swapping the elevator for the stairs or watching TV for a leisurely stroll around the neighborhood. You might find that breaking a sweat makes all the difference.
Playing Music at Night
The most difficult time for many tinnitus sufferers is understandably when we’re in the quietest environments – that is, when we’re falling asleep. Since there are no external noises to distract us from the uncomfortable ringing, the affects of tinnitus often appear to get worse at night when we’re dozing off.
Thankfully, certain kinds of music can help give our brains something else to focus on. Many kinds of music are also designed to help relax our brainwaves as we fall asleep, which means playing soft music in your bedroom won’t keep you awake. A simple Google search can often yield plenty of playlists that feature soothing sounds like water, rain or wind along with certain instrumentals.
For the best results, find a longer playlist that you like and stick to it. By growing accustomed to a certain song or sequence of sounds, music can actually help you fall asleep faster while also distracting you from the uncomfortable ringing that tinnitus causes. In turn, you’ll feel better rested and emotionally balanced and ready to cope with tinnitus during the day.
Noisers and Hearing Aids
Just like soft music, some devices are not designed to get rid of the effects of tinnitus, but help “distract” a sufferer from it. Instead of using harmonies and melodies to do it, these devices instead use a soft and unobtrusive sound that can focus a sufferer’s mind and ears on something else.
These devices, called “noisers”, are often just one part of a hearing aid. Since a majority that suffer from tinnitus also suffer from some form of hearing loss, hearing aids with built-in noisers can transform the way we hear. Plus, by improving our ability to perceive sounds we might have been missing beforehand, hearing aids’ ability to help us hear new frequencies act as additional sounds to distract from bothersome ringing.
Visit a Specialist
Most of the time, tinnitus is a subjective condition that occurs with hearing loss and damage to the ear. However, tinnitus can sometimes be a symptom of a larger health issue. The only way to know if tinnitus is a signal to a bigger problem is to visit a specialist that can draw connections between changes in your health and hearing. Before looking into other options for coping with tinnitus, make sure to visit a specialist and rule out any larger health issues.
Talk to a Hearing Specialist
If you are like a vast majority of tinnitus sufferers, though, a visit to a Licensed Hearing Specialist will help you begin to move toward finding solutions that work for you. Most that suffer from tinnitus will find that combining many different coping strategies is the most effective form of tinnitus management – including finding hearing aids that are right for you.
A hearing specialist is your best ally in learning to cope with tinnitus. Visit a hearing specialist at Lifestyle Hearing Solutions of Tucson to discuss what your steps toward living with tinnitus will look like.