5 Easy Steps To Reduce Tinnitus Symptoms
Have you been dealing with a constant buzzing or ringing in your ears or constant headaches and migraines? The symptoms of tinnitus can be an everlasting nuisance, and can directly impact what we do in our daily lives. However, there are ways to cope with these symptoms to not drain on each passing day. Here are some tips to dampen some of the stress of living with tinnitus.
1. Medications and Supplements
While there is no direct cure for tinnitus, some doctors have found success in treating symptoms by prescribing anti-anxiety drugs. The use of a steroid placed into the middle ear, along with anti-anxiety medicine, has been effective for some people. Lidocaine, a medication used to treat certain abnormal heart rhythms, has also helped relieve tinnitus for some people. However, this can only be given intravenously or into the middle ear to have any chance of being effective.
Some tinnitus patients have found success with an herbal supplement like Tinnitus 911, including niacin, hibiscus, Hawthorne berry, and olive extract. These supplements have helped some tinnitus sufferers reduce the ringing in their ears by providing a calming effect. This has also helped some patients deal with headaches, nausea, and dizziness sometimes linked to tinnitus. Before adding a tinnitus supplement, even an all natural herbal supplement, to your routine it’s a good idea to speak to a doctor about side effects and dosage.
2. Hearing Aids
If your tinnitus is associated with hearing loss, a hearing aid could help downplay the ringing sound and zone in on the noises they need to hear. An audiology test will help to determine the severity of hearing loss and determine the next steps towards improving your hearing. Keep in mind, hearing aids are not one-size-fits-all. Much like padded bras, it’s about finding the hearing device that’s suited to your lifestyle and finding the size and design that’s just right for you.
3. Masking Devices
While hearing aids can help some tinnitus sufferers, masking devices have helped others to eliminate the buzzing and hissing associated with tinnitus. These devices have a design similar to that of hearing aids but help to produce a sound that is more pleasant than the internal noise produced by tinnitus. Masking devices are also available to keep by your bedside to help you sleep better each night. Combined with serotonin to help curb insomnia, it has been a significant development in tinnitus relief for those struggling to deal with the noise at night.
4. Forms of Therapy
While there’s no direct cure for tinnitus, therapeutic options have helped sufferers get to the root cause of tinnitus and their subsequent flare-ups. Tinnitus retraining therapy, or TRT, combines sound masking and counseling from a trained professional. This includes wearing a masking device as recommended by an audiologist or tinnitus treatment center. TRT has helped to curb the buzzing noise and eliminate the stress brought on by symptoms.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy, or CBT, has helped some tinnitus sufferers with coping techniques as directed by a licensed mental health professional. Counseling can help with other problems that may trigger tinnitus, such as anxiety and depression. These CBT sessions can be conducted individually, or with a group, and are even accessible online.
5. Relaxation Techniques
Stress and anxiety can sometimes be the greatest tinnitus agitators of all. Finding ways to relax has helped some tinnitus patients turn that loud buzzing into a minor annoyance that sufferers are able to cast aside. Deep breathing is recommended for some patients to help reduce the symptoms of tinnitus. Others have found success with biofeedback, a relaxation technique that helps people manage stress by changing how they respond to it. Aerobic exercise has also helped some people reduce symptoms, while also helping to curb other health problems, like hypertension, that have been tied to tinnitus.
