Tinnitus has been defined as the loss, and or damage of the tiny hair cells within the inner ear. These tiny hair cells are charged with reducing the damage to the innermost workings of the ear. Tinnitus can become an issue as someone ages or with prolonged exposure to loud noises.
There is no actual cure for tinnitus, but there are hearing aids that provide tinnitus treatment options. There are, however, things you can do helping lessen the impact and you live with ringing in the ears.
Here are 6 coping strategies for tinnitus patients:
1. Reduce Noise
Everyday noise can be a bother to those suffering from constant and chronic tinnitus. One of the best coping skills is to limit loud and unnecessary noises. When you cannot limit these noises, you can mask them by using a white noise machine, a fan on a low setting or with protective ear covers.
2. Avoid Stress
This can be tricky for those who have a full life of work and family, but it can be done. There is no way to avoid stress altogether, but you can manage it. Using meditation, yoga and relaxation techniques, you can manage the stress you cannot remove from your life. Eating healthy and getting enough sleep, as well as resting, is another stress-busting practice you can incorporate into your life to combat the ringing in the ears.
3. Regular Ear Wax Removal
You may want to see an ear, nose and throat doctor to professionally and safely remove the ear wax from your ears on a regular basis. This will help to prevent extra echoes and ringing in the ears. Do not attempt to remove deep build up wax on your own for this will push it down further and cause more damage.
4. Medications
There are a number of medications that can cause tinnitus as well as correct the condition. You will need to speak with your primary care physician to help determine which medications you can safely remove. He or she can then prescribe another medication that would be of help with decreasing the ringing in the ears.
5. Seek Alternative Therapies
This can be talk therapy or acupuncture, both of which have proven to be helpful in reducing tinnitus. Talk therapy will help an individual that may consider the ringing in their ears to be a sign of something that could be life-threatening such as a brain tumor. Acupuncture is used on many different medical conditions and has shown to lessen the severity of tinnitus, although it should be continued beyond a few sessions.
6. Reduce Consumption of Caffeine
Caffeine, whether from coffee, chocolate, tea or any other source, can be damaging to the nervous system. This type of stimulant can increase the ringing in the ears as well as cause other physical and mental symptoms. Smoking is another pastime you will want to avoid in order to feel better about tinnitus.
It is possible to live with tinnitus, but you will have to work hard at managing the constant and annoying ringing in your ears.
