Healthy-Habits-for-Tinnitus-Relief

Healthy Habits for Tinnitus Relief

In Ear Health, Hearing Health, Lifestyle & Leisure, Tinnitus, Tinnitus Relief, Tips and Tricks by Bary E. Williams Au.D.

Chronic tinnitus can be a real bummer. A sustained ringing or unrelenting noise can make concentration difficult, cause stress, frustration and even despair. At its worst, tinnitus can make life extremely challenging, impacting our desire to work and our ability to sleep. With no known cure, overcoming persistent tinnitus can feel daunting, but relief is possible.

 

Tinnitus Basics

Tinnitus comes in many forms and can incorporate many types of sound. Essentially, it refers to a ringing in the ears – a personal perception sound or tone usually based on the triggering of sound sensing nerves rather than the presence of soundwaves. Tones and frequencies are the most common tinnitus sounds, but droning, buzzing, clicking and static-like noise are also common. In some cases, the type of tinnitus sound you experience may indicate the source of the hearing issue.

While tinnitus is an indicator of hearing damage, it isn’t always accompanied by significant hearing loss. Hearing loss can make tinnitus more prominent however, as other sounds become increasingly difficult to perceive. Other factors, like stress and diet can play a role in how intrusive tinnitus becomes. Tinnitus can last for a short period, or be ever-present in a person’s hearing.

 

Treating Tinnitus

As mentioned before, there isn’t a cure for tinnitus. There are, however, effective methods for treating the condition. Tinnitus relief is more nuanced and better understood than ever before, with more options available to help people manage their symptoms and provide relief. For people already dealing with hearing loss, specialized tinnitus treatment is often incorporated into hearing aids.

The most common method used to overcome tinnitus is through masking the disruptive sound. Tinnitus sufferers have used a variety of methods and devices to blanket tinnitus sound in other more neutral noises. White noise machines can often provide location-based relief. Smart phone users can find relief a simple click away through customizable white noise apps that allow the user to create specific palettes of sound to undercut and distract from the tinnitus noises they experience.

Hearing aids can help with tinnitus relief in several ways. Fundamentally, they can reduce the prominence of tinnitus by amplifying the other environmental sounds and voices. They can also assist tinnitus sufferers by delivering masking sounds, tones and music directly to the ear canal.  By streaming tinnitus relieving tones to the ear, the distracting tinnitus can be greatly lessened.

Finding the right solution for your specific tinnitus may take time and effort, so don’t give up if a certain therapy doesn’t immediately work. With modern masking and white noise treatments, it may take a while to find the tones that best restrict your tinnitus. Experiment with different sounds, even if it takes some time, as the rewards in discovering what works best can be significant, lasting relief.

 

Lifestyle Changes

In many cases tinnitus can also be lessened through sustained lifestyle changes. Meditation and mindfulness practices have been shown to relieve the negative symptoms of tinnitus. Through increasing bodily awareness, meditation can alleviate stress and reduce the prominence of distracting sounds. Mindfulness most commonly offers a gradual solution to tinnitus through relaxation and reconditioning the body’s responses to tinnitus.

There are some connections as well between tinnitus and certain foods, medications and smoking. Changing aspects of your diet, especially limiting caffeine and alcohol consumption, can have a lasting impact on tinnitus. Although challenging, quitting a smoking habit offers a bevy of health benefits, and tinnitus relief can be among them. Increasing exercise and body movement has also been shown to help relegate tinnitus to the background.

Tinnitus is sometimes linked to otherwise beneficial medications, such as antidepressants or antibiotics. If you are concerned about links between medication you take and your tinnitus, consult with your doctor before changing your dosage or treatment course. A medical professional can help you weigh the pros and cons of a medication and its side effects. If it is possible to change medication or alter your dosage amounts with medical guidance, doing so may improve or eliminate your tinnitus symptoms.

 

Exceptional Hearing Care

If you are looking for tinnitus solutions, Exceptional Hearing Care can help. We offer personalized care and a knowledgeable staff that can help you find sustaining tinnitus relief. From the latest in hearing aid tinnitus therapies to understanding lifestyle strategies you can practice at home, Exceptional Hearing Care is focused on helping you hear your best.

Bary E. Williams Au.D.
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