Tinnitus is a prevalent condition marked by the sensation of noise in the ears or head in the absence of any external auditory stimulus. Researchers believe that around 750 million people experience tinnitus. Typically, the percentage increases with age, with 24% of those older than sixty-five having the condition.
The phantom noise may take the form of ringing, buzzing, hissing, or other sounds, and its influence on daily life can be substantial. Those grappling with tinnitus frequently encounter emotional and physical distress, impacting their overall well-being.
For a lot of people, coping with the symptoms can be particularly difficult and frustrating. In this article, let us look at some of the ways to make tinnitus not feel so overwhelming in your life.
What Does Tinnitus Feel Like to Most People?
Tinnitus is not a disease, but a symptom of an underlying condition. It can be subjective, where only the affected individual hears the noise, or objective, where a healthcare professional can also perceive it during an examination. Common symptoms include persistent noise perception, difficulty concentrating, and sleep disturbances.
Tinnitus manifests as a wide range of sounds, often likened to buzzing, ringing, hissing, or even roaring. The perception of these sounds is highly subjective, with individuals describing unique auditory experiences.
Some may experience a constant, high-pitched ringing, while others may encounter intermittent, pulsating tones. The phantom symphony can be relentless, invading moments of silence and disrupting the tranquility of daily life.
How Does Tinnitus Affect Daily Life?
Sleep disturbances are a common consequence, as the constant background noise interferes with the ability to relax and fall asleep. The fatigue resulting from disrupted sleep patterns further exacerbates the emotional toll of tinnitus.
Likewise, concentration and cognitive functions may also be compromised as the brain grapples with the persistent internal sounds. The struggle to focus on the tasks at hand, whether at work or during leisure activities, can lead to decreased productivity and a diminished quality of life.
Social interactions may also become challenging as individuals with tinnitus often withdraw to avoid the frustration of trying to communicate amidst the persistent noise.
Considering the severity of the symptoms, it can be challenging to wonder how to proceed in life. Well, let us look at some of the key steps to coping with tinnitus.
1. Acceptance Can Be Liberating
For many people, it can be tough to come to terms with the fact that they have developed what is currently a chronic condition. This is especially true if the tinnitus developed due to artificial causes. For instance, many people with thyroid eye disease took the drug ‘Tepezza’ as part of their treatment.
Unfortunately, the drug ended up causing a number of hearing-related disorders, including tinnitus. As you can imagine, this led to a lot of frustrated individuals filing Tepezza hearing loss lawsuit cases.
TorHoerman Law estimates that the settlement amounts that people can hope to receive range between $75,000 and $200,000. However, this doesn’t help all that much when you consider that there isn’t a cure for the condition yet. This is why acceptance becomes immensely helpful in coping.
Indeed, a lot of people who were initially distressed about their condition have become used to it. Eventually, they come to terms with it and accept it as a part of their lives. Some even find the ringing sound comforting after a while, though this is more so for those where the symptoms aren’t overwhelming.
2. Try Out Sound Masking
Sound masking operates on the principle of introducing a neutral or pleasant background noise to counterbalance or mask the perception of tinnitus sounds. This approach doesn’t aim to eliminate the internal sounds but rather creates a more harmonious auditory environment by blending the tinnitus noises with external, less intrusive sounds.
According to the American Tinnitus Association, sound-based therapies operate on one or more of the four aspects. Masking, distraction, habituation, and neuromodulation. These aspects can be addressed by white noise machines or sound and sleep aid apps.
It can also be addressed by common appliances like humidifiers and fans, which offer a constant and soothing auditory backdrop. In work settings, sound masking systems installed in offices emit a low-level background sound, and personal sound generators provide a customizable auditory environment at individual workstations.
The benefits of sound masking for tinnitus are manifold. Firstly, it reduces the perception of the ringing by providing a constant, unobtrusive background noise, making the internal sounds less noticeable.
Secondly, sound masking contributes to enhanced relaxation, reducing stress and anxiety associated with tinnitus. Lastly, it improves sleep quality by creating a conducive environment for restful sleep, addressing one of the common challenges faced by people with tinnitus.
3. Look into Upcoming Advancements Like Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
As people seek effective interventions to alleviate the persistent noises, ‘Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation’ (TMS) seems to be a rather promising treatment option.
TMS focuses electromagnetic fields on certain areas of the brain. In the context of tinnitus, TMS is targeted at the auditory cortex. This is the part of the brain that processes sound.
Interestingly, TMS was not specifically designed to treat tinnitus. Rather, its primary purpose was to treat major depressive disorders. However, scientists have observed that its benefits extend to other areas, including the treatment of chronic pain and OCD, and aiding in smoking cessation.
The objective of TMS is to modulate neural activity and disrupt the aberrant neural patterns contributing to tinnitus perception. Studies and clinical trials have shown promising results regarding the efficacy of TMS in managing tinnitus.
TMS has demonstrated the ability to reduce the intensity and annoyance associated with tinnitus sounds. TMS for tinnitus treatment comes in various forms, with multiple sessions of TMS, also known as ‘rTMS’ being one of the most researched and utilized.
This technique involves the repeated application of magnetic pulses over several sessions, typically spanning several weeks. The frequency, intensity, and duration of the magnetic pulses are carefully calibrated to achieve optimal therapeutic effects.
In conclusion, managing tinnitus symptoms is a complex journey that varies from person to person. Ultimately, acceptance is the end goal until we develop a definitive treatment for the condition. In the meantime, sound masking and experimenting with other techniques can help make life a little bit easier.
