Learning to live with any medical condition can be a challenge. Learning to live with tinnitus can seem impossible. For millions of Americans every year, tinnitus, or constantly hearing a high-pitched sound, is commonplace. Exposure to this subjective sound produced by the ear can range from harmless to debilitating. Given that there is no medication on the market to treat tinnitus, people have to learn to live with it as the ear slowly gets better.
Many people choose to live with tinnitus with as little effect on their lives as possible. They do this by being proactive in reducing not only what causes tinnitus, but in promoting healthy living habits that rid tinnitus faster. Below are a few ways people learn to live with tinnitus while making it less of a problem.
Exercise
Many people with tinnitus find comfort by increasing the amount they exercise. Exercise helps calm the body and regulate blood flow better. This one-two punch can help reduce psychological and physiological causes of tinnitus.
Jaw Relaxation
Relax your jaw. Go on, take a moment to relax your jaw. Were you holding it tight just a moment before? People keep stress in their face, especially their mouth. By being aware and relaxing your jaw more frequently, you can ease up the inadvertent pressure you are putting on your ears, reducing a potential cause of your tinnitus.
White Noise
Some people find solace in white noise, and other forms of constant background interference. This can help hide or temporarily remove the tinnitus, giving you a much-needed breather on your road to recovery.
Music Therapy
One way people have directly reduced their tinnitus is through music therapy. Music therapy plays around with different tones and compositions to relax your brain and ears. Through specific frequencies and exposure, individuals have found relief from mild to moderate forms of tinnitus.
Talking Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
One way people learn to live with tinnitus is by sharing their experience with others. Also a widely recognized treatment for panic attacks, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is a particular subset of therapy designed specifically to target you, your body, and the reaction of the two. Given that many forms of tinnitus are psychological in origin, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is seen as an effective means to diagnose and handle the problem of tinnitus.
Taking Zinc
Though currently in its initial stages of research, there has been a tentative link discovered between zinc consumption and a reduction in tinnitus. Before taking zinc supplements, be sure to see your doctor to get a better understanding of dosage.
Taking Ginkgo Biloba
Though widely discredited, some people swear by Ginkgo Biloba. Taken as a natural supplement to increase blood flow to the brain, people who love taking Ginkgo Biloba swear that they wouldn’t know how to live with tinnitus without the supplement.
Sound Therapy through hearing aids or tinnitus maskers
Another common technique people use to deal with tinnitus is by limiting all noise they are exposed to. Hearing aids, tinnitus maskers, and earplugs all help to reduce the decibel level you are exposed to, helping give your ears the break they need to recover faster.