How do you deal with severe tinnitus?

Are you struggling with tinnitus? This condition causes you to hear noises that aren’t actually audible to other people. The noise in question can differ depending on the individual. However, it could be anything from the sound of whistling to a ringing or buzzing. Because tinnitus is often shrugged off as something you just have to learn to live with, you may not be familiar with the many different treatment methods. First though, there are a few questions that you need to answer when determining the best way to cope with this condition.

How severe is your tinnitus?

Tinnitus can be experienced intermittently or constantly, and this could impact the best treatment for your specific case. Tinnitus can be caused by a number of different things, including:

• Present hearing loss
• Noise damage
• Impacted earwax
• Medication
• Stress
• Abnormal growths

Finding the reasoning behind your tinnitus can provide the optimal treatment. Tinnitus caused by something like medication or earwax may be reduced or resolved with a simple prescription switch or professional ear cleaning. While something caused by noise or hearing loss may benefit more from hearing aids or sound machines.

Hearing aids and tinnitus

Hearing aids are one of the most widely-recommended treatments for tinnitus – even if you don’t have an actual hearing loss present. Hearing devices can be equipped with a number of features, including a masking option, that can help override your tinnitus symptoms. If you do have hearing loss, using hearing aids can provide the right amplification needed to help you hear better, which can in turn, reduce tinnitus sounds, as well. There are a variety of hearing aid styles available, including behind the ear, in the ear and in the canal. Your audiologist can recommend the right solution to treat your tinnitus symptoms.

Try therapy

In addition to hearing aids, you may also benefit from a treatment known as tinnitus retraining therapy (TRT). TRT works by training your brain to focus on something other than the tinnitus sounds, providing a much-needed break from this barrage of noise. Think of it like the ticking of a clock. While a ticking of a clock is certainly usually loud enough to hear, you will actually only consciously hear it if you focus on the noise. The same is true for your tinnitus. It might seem louder because you are focusing on it. If you can stop thinking about the noise, you may not notice it at all and it will seem far quieter.

When used with hearing aids, TRT is incredibly successful in helping to cope with and find relief from your tinnitus symptoms.

Support therapies

While TRT is an excellent way to learn how to overcome the sounds caused by tinnitus, your audiologist may also recommend traditional therapy or support groups to help you manage the emotions that can be caused by this condition. Tinnitus can bring out a range of emotions, including stress, anxiety, social isolation and even depression. If you experience tinnitus during the night, you may also experience sleep deprivation, which can aggravate the above emotional symptoms. Talking with someone about the emotions you’re feeling or with a group of people who understand your symptoms can offer you the peace of mind you need to cope with this condition.

Use sound machines

You might also want to think about investing in a sound machine. This device can be used to play a more peaceful or soothing noise to mask your tinnitus. This could be anything from white noise, pink noise, red noise or even the sound of ocean waves. There are even apps that can provide you with a range of different sounds to choose that you can then play through a speaker system or even your phone. Your audiologist can help you utilize these devices in tandem with therapy or hearing aids to achieve the best relief possible.

Preventing tinnitus

Even if you already have tinnitus, you can help prevent it from worsening by taking a few precautionary steps. This means protecting your hearing from loud noises. Invest in a pair of earplugs, earmuffs or noise-cancelation headphones to ensure your hearing is protected when surrounded by sound.

When do you need to see an audiologist?

If your tinnitus is becoming unmanageable, you need to make sure that you speak to an audiologist. They can provide you with extra advice and support. They may even recommend hearing aids that offer a range of benefits including the same type of systems as sound boxes to block out noise. Contact ENT Physicians, Inc for advice and support at (419) 776-5028 today.

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For many people who experience tinnitus, a buzzing, hissing or ringing sound in the ears is something they experience all the time. This constant soundtrack is impossible to escape and it can make everyday activities and daily life more difficult.

How to get relief from tinnitus

Exercise and relaxation can help you
manage your body's stress response to
tinnitus.

Sometimes tinnitus can be resolved through treatment of the underlying cause, but often no direct reason can be found. If you're wondering how to get relief from tinnitus, the following recommendations can help.

Learn to tune tinnitus out

If you have frequent tinnitus, habituating is an important skill to learn. Some tinnitus sufferers say that learning to habituate tinnitus, or ignore it, is one of the best ways to find relief.

How you learn to habituate can vary, but it's all about breaking the stress cycle that occurs when you experience a flare-up in tinnitus.

Here's more information on how to tune out the ringing in your ears.

Relaxation and meditation for tinnitus

Relaxation is important in two ways: First, it helps ward off tinnitus. For many people, stress is a trigger for their tinnitus, so learning some relaxation techniques can help prevent it before it starts. And when you do experience tinnitus, calming your body—and mind—is a vital tool to help keep it from affecting your entire life.

In some cases, all you need to do is briefly refocus your attention on something else to find relief from your tinnitus, which can often be achieved by regularly practicing meditation techniques. These techniques below are best learned when your tinnitus isn't active, but they're still worth trying even if you're in the middle of a tinnitus spike. 

Autogenic relaxation

Think of a phrase or saying that relaxes your mind and helps you to imagine a peaceful place, and simply repeat it in your head. While doing this, try to sit in a comfortable position and slowly breathe in and out.

Visualization

Similar to autogenic relaxation, visualization helps to calm your body by thinking of a place that makes you feel at ease. For example, if you are thinking of a beach, don't simply imagine yourself sitting on a beach, but try to bring all of your senses into play. Think of the salty smell in the air, the warm humidity, the sound of the crashing waves, the feeling of the sand between your toes and the warmth of the sun on your skin.

Progressive muscle relaxation

It is probably easiest to try progressive muscle relaxation while standing up, but you can also receive some benefits when sitting down. Start by tensing the muscles in your toes and feet for about five to 10 seconds. Then, slowly release these muscles for 30 seconds and do the same for the legs, hips, abdomen, lower back, shoulders, arms, hands, neck and jaw.

More: Tinnitus and meditation: A success story

Lifestyle and home remedies for tinnitus

Every person with tinnitus should protect
their hearing when around loud noises.

Wear hearing protection

If you're working around loud machinery, going hunting or dancing near speakers at a live concert, don't forget to wear foam earplugs or earmuffs so your tinnitus doesn't get worse. Noise exposure can trigger tinnitus for some people. It also damages your hearing, which in turn can make tinnitus more intense. 

Exercise

Exercise is a key way to manage stress, and is good for both your brain and body. If your tinnitus is related to high blood pressure, increasing your activity level can help get your blood pressure under better control and reduce tinnitus.

Yoga

Yoga is a great exercise for tinnitus sufferers because it incorporates meditative breathing and relaxation techniques along with a healthy workout. 

Evaluate your diet

For some people, their tinnitus is helped by reducing the amount of salt they consume and incorporating healthy eating habits, including a hearing-friendly diet full of these vitamins and minerals. For people who have Meniere's disease—which causes hearing loss, tinnitus and dizziness—lowering salt may be especially helpful. 

Limit caffeine, alcohol, and tobacco

All three of these things affect blood flow and your overall health. For example, consuming too much coffee or soda regularly not only increases your blood pressure, it may aggravate tinnitus, although research hasn't shown this to be the case. 

Talk to someone

Tinnitus can impact your mental health and your relationships. Many people find cognitive-behavioral therapy useful for managing the emotional impact of tinnitus. A review published in the Journal of the American Academy of Audiology found that “CBT treatment for tinnitus management is the most evidence-based treatment option so far.” 

More tips: 

• Quality of life hacks for tinnitus sufferers
• How to support someone with tinnitus
• Apps for tinnitus

If your tinnitus feels overwhelming

For some people, tinnitus can have a big impact on their mental health, leading to suicidal thoughts. If you are finding yourself in this position, our article on suicide and tinnitus offers tips to help you through the immediate crisis. 

Medical treatments for tinnitus

If you've tried the recommendations above and are still struggling with tinnitus, our page on tinnitus diagnosis and treatment provides guidance on what it's like to see a medical or hearing care professional for persistent or severe tinnitus. It also goes over masking devices and behavioral and sound therapy options.

Many people find relief from simply getting a pair of hearing aids, especially if hearing loss is a contributing factor. 

Get relief from tinnitus

If you are experiencing ringing in your ears it is important to get a thorough hearing evaluation from a hearing care professional. Find an audiologist that specializes in tinnitus treatment near you by visiting our directory of hearing care providers. Please note that not all hearing clinics treat tinnitus, so you may need to browse several clinic pages to find the right provider.

Joy Victory, managing editor, Healthy Hearing

Joy Victory has extensive experience editing consumer health information. Her training in particular has focused on how to best communicate evidence-based medical guidelines and clinical trial results to the public. She strives to make health content accurate, accessible and engaging to the public. Read more about Joy.

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