Buzzing, ringing, humming or hissing – these are just some of the irritating sounds that are constantly playing over and over inside a tinnitus patient’s head.
Tinnitus occurs when the brain changes resulting from damage to the auditory network. A person with this condition hears internally-produced noises and the normal reaction for those who are unaware that this condition exists is that they would think they’re actually going insane. It definitely isn’t insanity!
There are several medications or treatment for tinnitus such as low dose of anti-anxiety medicines like Valium or anti-depressants like Elavil.
Although tinnitus wouldn’t permanently go out of one’s system, the best tip is to face it and follow the most effective way that would make you go on with your life like a normal person.
Self-help
This is the first way to reduce the hassle and pain that tinnitus can bring. You need to relax and love yourself even more. In times where you couldn’t sleep, put on a good and soothing music. In times where you need to focus, stop whatever you’re doing and do some physical exercises. In times when you’re depressed, talk to your loved ones or consult a support group. Feeling relaxed, content and loved will definitely help you cope with this kind of condition.
Sound therapy
Tinnitus mostly occurs in a quiet environment and some people block the sounds through other sounds like through television and radio. Mostly, our quiet moment is when we sleep and for people with tinnitus, this is where the struggle starts. There is certainty an item that you can buy which produces a vibrating sound. This is called the sound generator. It even has a timer where you can set your desired time to turn it off. If you have a normal hearing or a mild hearing loss, an ear-level sound generator may be recommended. This looks like a hearing aid since this is just a small device.
Tinnitus counseling
Seek out help from audiologists, hearing therapists, specialists or doctors. The best way that you can cope with tinnitus is to know more about it and communicate your everyday dilemma to people who could better understand your situation. You need to be knowledgeable about what the causes or symptoms are and exhaust all possible information that you can get to help you face the fact that there is no cure for tinnitus but you can ease the pain through treatments.
Cognitive behavioral therapy
Having Tinnitus as a condition brings many struggles affecting mostly, the person’s emotional state. It wouldn’t come as a shock that a person with tinnitus would suffer from anxiety, depression or post-traumatic stress disorder. CBT helps build a person’s perception to something positive and changes the person’s behavior.
Tinnitus retraining therapy
This is a combination of 2 treatments. Sound therapy and counseling. The way that a person responds to tinnitus is retrained to get used to the noises and eventually become less aware of it. This is also called habituation.
The best medication that a person with tinnitus can have is to accept it and try which one is effective because the cases may vary.