What is tinnitus?
Tinnitus is described as noise of the ear/s or head which cannot be attributed to an external cause. It can be described in many ways, such as ringing, buzzing, humming, clicking or pulsing (to name a few), and can affect one or both ears or indeed be described as ‘within the head’.
The following list indicates possible reasons for you to be experiencing tinnitus. You may find you have one or more of these that you can relate to:
- Hearing loss (various reasons)
- Noise exposure – working environment/leisure activities such as shooting or regular exposure to loud music
- Operations of the head/neck/ears
- Perforation of the ear drum/s
- Ear wax and/or ear infection
- Trauma (not just to the ears)
- TMJ/Dental problems
- Migraine/headaches
- Muscle and nervous system problems
- Blood pressure
- Tumour (this is uncommon)
- Some medications and treatments can have side effects of tinnitus (please do NOT stop taking important medications unless you have been advised to do so by your prescribing clinician or GP)
It is important to know that tinnitus itself is nothing sinister but it can be helpful to talk about it with your GP. They may then refer you onto the Ear, Nose and Throat or Audiology service for a hearing assessment. This will give us more information to help you try and understand your tinnitus.
The Hearing and Balance Service offers a Tinnitus Management Service where you can speak with an Audiologist about techniques and coping strategies to help you manage your tinnitus. If a hearing loss is apparent then you may be offered hearing aids. Usually when hearing is improved tinnitus can subside significantly. Your Audiologist should discuss this with you and explain how a hearing aid may work for you.
Sometimes it maybe necessary to have your ears cleared due to a blockage of ear wax or an ear infection. This may help to reduce or stop the tinnitus you have been experiencing.
Tinnitus self help techniques
Tinnitus can be very strongly influenced by how we are feeling. Increased stress levels or anxieties can sometimes mean that tinnitus gets increasingly hard to cope with. Below are just a few ideas that you could try at home that should be easy enough for you to include in to your day.
It is important to know that these techniques are not to get rid of your tinnitus but to help your mind focus on something that makes you feel better, therefore keeping your thoughts away from the tinnitus.
Relaxation
Take a few minutes throughout your day to relax. Move away from the computer screen, stop the housework or take a few moments before your next task to breath!
Run through your muscles from head to toe for a few moments tensing and then relaxing them in turn. Start listening and identifying the areas in your body that are tense. You may only need to do this for a couple of minutes three or four times a day and eventually you will find benefit. However, doing these kind of exercises once in a while, or only when your tinnitus is bad, is unlikely to improve things. Think of it as a kind of physio therapy.
Thai Chi, Yoga, Pilates, Swimming, gentle walks and meditation are some of the low-impact activities that you can do which may help with relaxation.
You can download mindfulness apps on your phone or tablet which give some good relaxation techniques.
Sound Enrichment
If you find that the tinnitus is more bothersome to you when the environment is quiet having something on in the background such as a radio or TV can help with distraction. However, we do not recommend use of these at night as it will likely keep your mind active and prevent you from having a good night’s sleep.
Natural sound sources such as the sound of rain, a fan running or the sound of the sea can help with distraction. As these noises are natural they tend to be quite relaxing to most people.
You can listen to some relaxing sounds on YouTube or download a tinnitus app on your phone or tablet to listen to whilst you are relaxing or sleeping. Ensure the sound is gentle and does not change too much. Listening to natural sound gives the mind a distraction whilst being unintrusive. The sound you have playing should be at a level where you can just hear it in the background.
Time for yourself
In today’s on-the-go lifestyles we tend to forget about ourselves. It is important that you have something to look forward to at least once or twice a week. It doesn’t matter what it is, as long as it is enjoyable for you. Reading, listening to music, bird watching, running, painting, a coffee with a friend, or just relaxing in the garden can give you that much needed time away from the hectic day-to-day hard work that can increase our stress levels and therefore influence our perception of tinnitus.
Addressing changes to your hearing
Be aware of any changes to your hearing. Even a small change to our hearing can possibly influence our perception of tinnitus.
Unfortunately hearing loss comes to most of us naturally as we get older and tinnitus can be a common feature. Having a discussion with a hearing care professional can help you understand more about how we hear and what can be done to help.
If it is found that you do have a hearing deterioration then this should be explained to you and you will be given options available to you to help. This does not mean you have to have a hearing aid but your hearing care professional should explain the benefits and give you advise in this case.
Tinnitus appointments and support group information
If you feel that you do suffer with tinnitus and you would like to see someone please ask your General Practitioner (GP) for a referral. An appointment will then be arranged for you at the Hospital.
For more information and support you can visit the British Tinnitus Association website now known as Tinnitus UK.
You can also download a free Tinnitus guide from the Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID).