How to Treat and Cure Tinnitus: The Simple, Effective Method
Tinnitus is not just a nuisance, it can also be very disruptive and even frightening. Tinnitus is a condition that causes noises in the ear that are not actually there. It can be caused by everything from an infected ear to a hearing loss. If left untreated, tinnitus can also grow to become even more bothersome over time. Fortunately, there is hope for tinnitus sufferers who are willing to put in the necessary effort. Treating and curing tinnitus requires a combination of self-awareness, patience, and perseverance.
What is Tinnitus?
Tinnitus is the perception of noise in the absence of any external sound. It can be a ringing sound in the ear, a hiss, buzzing, roaring, or clicking. Tinnitus is the most common type of hearing abnormality, affecting nearly 15 million Americans. Tinnitus can cause severe distress and can drastically affect a person’s quality of life. It is especially prevalent in people who are older than 60 years of age. Tinnitus is not a disease, but rather a condition that affects the auditory system. It is also known as “ringing in the ears,” “hearing sounds in the head,” or “ear ringing.”
Use Self-Help Strategies to Treat Tinnitus
While medical treatments can help to reduce some of the symptoms of tinnitus, these approaches do not result in complete relief from the condition. Rather than looking to doctors to cure you of your tinnitus, try these self-help strategies to find relief.
- Use Sound Therapy: Sound therapy is a great way for people with tinnitus to reduce the impact of their condition. If you suffer from tinnitus, you may find that listening to a high-pitched sound has a soothing effect on you.
- Make the Most of Your Hearing: While having tinnitus can be a very frustrating experience, you can also take steps to maximize the remaining hearing in your ears. Make sure you use hearing protection when working or playing sports. Wear earbuds when listening to music in order to limit the number of external sounds going into your ears.
- Get Out and About: Being inside all the time can cause a great deal of stress, which can exacerbate tinnitus. If you have tinnitus and are prone to anxiety, regularly getting out and about can help to alleviate the stress.
- Don’t Dwell on Negative Thought Patterns: In addition to constantly worrying about your tinnitus, you should also be aware that your thoughts play a major role in how you experience the condition. If you find yourself obsessing about your tinnitus, you may be causing yourself much more discomfort than you would if you relaxed and let go of the thoughts.
- Take a Break from Tinnitus Treatment: If you are undergoing any type of treatment for tinnitus, you may find that it becomes too strenuous over time. Try to take a break from treatment every month or so to give your ears a rest.
Learn the Causes of Tinnitus
There are a number of possible causes of tinnitus. Many of these are based on environmental factors that are difficult to control, such as hearing loss or noise-induced hearing loss. If you have been diagnosed with tinnitus, it may be useful to seek out the cause of the condition. This can be done by consulting hearing experts at NH Hearing Institute who may be able to help you identify the cause. There are also a number of possible genetic causes of tinnitus. If you and your family members have been diagnosed with tinnitus, you may want to consult a genetic counselor to learn more about your genetics and see if there are any possible causes based on your genetics.
Stay Away from Triggers for Tinnitus
Certain factors may predispose you to develop tinnitus. These include a history of ear infections, hearing loss, and age. As you may have noticed, many tinnitus treatments are aimed at reducing the impact of these factors. If you wish to treat your tinnitus, you must work to reduce the risk of these factors. You should schedule regular checkups for any hearing loss, and you should wear earplugs when working or playing sports that involve loud noises. If you are prone to tinnitus, you should also avoid listening to music that may be a trigger for you. If you find that you are listening to music that triggers your tinnitus, you should take a break from it and try to find other music that you may enjoy listening to without triggering your condition.
Practice Deep Breathing Exercises
Tinnitus can often be traced back to anxiety. If you are prone to anxiety, it is likely that you are also more likely to experience tinnitus. Therefore, one of the first steps in treating your tinnitus should be to address your anxiety. Anxiety can often be traced back to a number of different issues, one of which may be that you are not getting enough sleep. If you are struggling to fall asleep or are not getting enough sleep, you may be more likely to have anxiety. As such, you should work to increase your sleeping time.
Get a Good Night’s Sleep
Another way to address the cause of your tinnitus is to improve your sleeping habits. If you are not getting enough sleep, you are much more likely to experience anxiety as well as tinnitus. This can be addressed by making sure that you get the recommended amount of sleep each night. Sleep is crucial for your body to repair itself and obtain the essential nutrients that it needs for good health. You should try to avoid consuming caffeine or alcohol close to bedtime, as these substances can disrupt the quality of your sleep.
See an Audiologist
Even if you take all of the steps on this list, it is possible that you will not be able to completely get rid of your tinnitus. That is why it is also important to see an audiologist to rule out any hearing loss that may be causing your tinnitus. If you have been diagnosed with tinnitus, you may be more likely to have hearing loss as well. Therefore, it is crucial that you work to rule out any possible hearing loss and deal with the tinnitus as best you can. An audiologist can perform a variety of tests to see if there is any hearing loss present. They can also recommend any possible tinnitus treatment options that you may want to consider.
Treating Tipping Points: Conclusion
If you are suffering from tinnitus, it is crucial that you take the steps to manage the condition. Make sure that you take regular breaks from treatment, eat well, get enough sleep, stay away from any noise-induced hearing loss, and work to rule out any possible hearing loss. These are just a few of the steps that you should take to successfully manage your tinnitus. If you follow these steps, you can expect to experience significant relief from your tinnitus.