The thought of losing your hearing can be scary. It is difficult to imagine going through life, finding it difficult to hear your favorite music, talk to loved ones, and hear warning sounds around you. However, hearing loss isn’t the only common hearing problem that people experience. Tinnitus is when you develop ringing or other noises in one or both of your ears. These noises are not caused by external sound but by an underlying condition. You are probably wondering if you can get rid of this common condition? Here at Hearing Group we take you through the most popular remedies for tinnitus.
With over 50 million Americans suffering from tinnitus, this hearing disorder can impact your life in various ways and cause significant discomfort and irritation for sufferers. Let’s take a look and find out how to get rid of tinnitus.
What Is Tinnitus?
Tinnitus is a common hearing disorder that can affect people of all ages. Tinnitus is a recurring head noise that lasts for five minutes or more, at least once a week. If you experience this persistent ear or head noise, you aren’t going crazy; this is a symptom of when something is wrong within your auditory system. This can include the ear, parts of the brain, or the auditory nerve.
Although the most common symptom of tinnitus is just a ringing in the ears, this can still have a huge negative impact on your life. Other more extreme forms of tinnitus can cause more debilitating problems and even affect your emotional health.
Tinnitus is caused by various health conditions, including, but not limited to, earwax or an ear injury. Therefore, it is a good idea to go come and visit your local hearing specialist and let us offer our expertise.
How to Get Rid of Tinnitus
Although there is no absolute cure for tinnitus, a range of treatments and remedies are available that can help relieve the problem and manage the perception of the sound in your head.
Hearing Aids
First and foremost, most people develop tinnitus as a symptom of hearing loss. As hearing loss begins to occur, your brain undergoes a series of changes, and the way it processes sound frequencies can become altered. Hearing aids amplify the sounds around you, reducing how noticeable your tinnitus is.
Although there is no definitive cure for tinnitus, hearing aids are one of the most effective treatments and forms of relief and a great place to start when wondering how to get rid of tinnitus.
Exercise
Exercise might not sound like a remedy for a hearing condition, but the truth is tinnitus often gets worse when you are feeling stressed, anxious, ill, or tired. That is where exercise comes in. Exercise improves your overall well-being significantly and helps you manage your tinnitus.
Mindfulness or Meditation
As previously mentioned, stress and anxiety can have a hugely negative impact on the severity of your tinnitus. Finding a way to deal with stress and anxiety, like mindfulness, won’t cure you of this hearing condition, but it can reduce suffering. Whether you try a course hosted by a trained professional or you prefer to practice mindfulness at home by yourself, the important thing is to find what works for you.
Foreign Objects and Blockages
Are you wondering how to get rid of tinnitus? It could be as simple as getting a hearing professional to take a look at your ears. It turns out that earwax and foreign objects getting lodged in your ears can cause tinnitus. When earwax or an object becomes lodged against your eardrum, it can leave you with a persistent head noise. With an appointment, your local hearing specialist will inspect your inner ear and remove any obstructions that could be causing the tinnitus.
Medication
If you are trying to find out how to get rid of your tinnitus, then it is worth noting that it is likely to take a range of different treatments and approaches. If you suffer from a more severe form of tinnitus, your doctor may prescribe you medication. Medications like antidepressants and antianxiety medications can help minimize the discomfort and irritation caused by tinnitus and improve your overall quality of life.
Sound Masking Machines
Okay, these aren’t an answer to the “how do you get rid of tinnitus?” question, but these electronic devices are often an effective form of relief. Sound masking machines come in various sizes and shapes and work by producing a pleasant external sound that drowns out the tinnitus.
Behavioral Therapy
Tinnitus sufferers often experience anxiety, insomnia, depression, and emotional stress. Many learn to live with tinnitus using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Instead of treating the tinnitus itself, CBT involves working with a counselor or therapist to identify negative thought patterns.
Although initially invented to treat depression, this form of therapy is also effective against tinnitus. A study by the Korean Journal of Audiology found that CBT significantly helped tinnitus sufferers with the irritation it causes.
Progressive Tinnitus Management
The Progressive Tinnitus Management (PTM) is a treatment program set up by The Department of Veteran Affairs to aid those veterans who have developed tinnitus through noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL).
Tinnitus is one of the most common disabilities seen in veterans, and therefore, your local VA hospital will often be able to enter you into one of these PTM programs. These programs entail working through a range of educational materials that will help make living with tinnitus easier.
Do Something about Your Tinnitus
Tinnitus can be a confusing and frustrating condition for sufferers and their loved ones. “How do I get rid of tinnitus?” is a common question that, unfortunately, there isn’t a definitive answer to. Our treatments and remedies may not all be successful, but by taking action and seeking professional help like that provided at Hearing Group, we are confident that we can help look after your hearing and manage your tinnitus.
Book your appointment at Hearing Group and let us answer your hearing-related questions. We have the latest hearing aid technology to help make living with tinnitus easier.