From the moment you first start dealing with buzzing, ringing, humming, or other symptoms of tinnitus, it’s hard to ignore that noise. On its own, this ear problem is irritating enough—add in side effects like dizziness and headache and it becomes all the more frustrating. Nevertheless, tinnitus truly can be conquered. With the right treatment plan and coping mechanisms, you can learn to live despite tinnitus.
Talk to your doctor.
Like with any medical condition, visiting your doctor is your best bet for easing the impact of tinnitus. They can examine you, run any necessary tests, and work with you to create a treatment plan or solution for your symptoms. Your doctor might suggest prescription medication, surgery, or even mental health treatment help you feel better. Worried about the cost of treatment? CheapoMeds is a helpful resource to make medications more accessible for the average patient. They work with licensed pharmacies to get you the prescription medication you need at a better price than you’re used to paying.
Consider alternative remedies.
If you’re still not sure about conventional medications, you might be more comfortable using natural or traditional medicine. Certain natural ingredients have been shown to decrease unwanted ringing or other noise as well as other tinnitus side effects, such as headaches, migraines, dizziness, and nausea. Phytage Labs, for instance, has created a supplement called Tinnitus 911, which uses ingredients like hawthorn berry, hibiscus, niacin (vitamin B12), and olive extract to purposefully target these tinnitus symptoms and improve your quality of life overall. Always speak to a doctor about dosage before taking any supplements or medications for the first time, even if they have natural ingredients, as there may be side effects you should be aware of.
Identify and treat the root cause.
Tinnitus is hardly the most thoroughly understood medical condition you could live with, but experts are always developing new and more thorough knowledge. The causes of tinnitus are just one area that’s gaining momentum—did you know your tinnitus symptoms could be occurring while you’re in dental treatment recovery, for instance? Conversely, dental treatment may very well be the best way to treat your tinnitus itself. In some cases, bite realignment or correcting jaw joint dysfunction like TMJ may ease your symptoms and leave you tinnitus-free.
Manage potential triggers.
All tinnitus sufferers will be a bit different, but some patients will find that their tinnitus problem worsens after exposure to certain triggers, such as loud noise or stress. By avoiding or managing instances of these triggers, or at least the worst of them, you can better manage your symptoms of tinnitus. Wear earplugs when you’ll be somewhere especially loud, such as a concert. Learn effective stress management strategies to avoid getting to a severe enough state that you exacerbate your tinnitus. These precautions can make a world of difference in your treatment plan.
Help out your mental health.
Like TMJ or other physical health concerns, your mental health can affect tinnitus symptoms, too. In fact, mental health and tinnitus create a correlation that goes both ways—either one can cause or exacerbate the other. While emotional distress can worsen tinnitus symptoms, tinnitus itself can increase mental health problems like anxiety or depression. Conversely, treating one of these health concerns can have a positive impact on the other condition.
Distract yourself from your symptoms.
Of course, taking your mind off of your tinnitus symptoms can be therapeutic. Just as importantly, though, you can make those symptoms less noticeable by purposefully incorporating other sounds in your environment. Using certain forms of sound therapy or TRT (tinnitus retraining therapy), you can create a genuine noise for your brain to focus on, easing the effect of your condition. Over time, your mind will begin to adjust to this low-level background noise, making your symptoms less noticeable in the process.
Recognize anything that might be more serious.
If you‘re dealing with chronic tinnitus, it can be easy to see your symptoms as just a long-term, but underwhelming discomfort. In some cases, though, that acclimation can be dangerous. Because tinnitus sufferers are used to their ear problems, they’re more likely to overlook worsening symptoms that might indicate something more significant. While tinnitus isn’t usually severe, it can sometimes be a sign of a more serious condition. Certain nerve problems or medical conditions can manifest with tinnitus as a symptom, while that ringing or buzzing in the ears may be a warning sign of others. In either case, consult your doctor and educate yourself on that condition—that awareness can be enough to catch a health issue in the early stages and prevent it from worsening.
In most instances, tinnitus is little more than an irritation in a patient’s day-to-day life. Sometimes, though, you might want to relieve yourself of those unwanted sounds and side effects. By learning how to treat and cope with tinnitus and its symptoms, you can regain control over your life and even catch more serious concerns before they should start. Talk to your doctor about your treatment options—prescription medications, tinnitus supplements, or other options may ease your symptoms and help you cope with your condition.
