Tinnitus, the sound of ringing or buzzing in the ears, can disrupt sleep, affect concentration and lead to emotional distress. One of the most common and challenging side effects of tinnitus is stress. Stress doesn’t just result from tinnitus. It can also make the symptoms worse.
How Does Stress Affect Tinnitus?
Studies indicate that stress may play a role in both triggering tinnitus and making its symptoms more severe. When tinnitus also leads to stress, it creates a tinnitus-stress loop: the more stressed you are, the more noticeable the tinnitus becomes. The more you notice it, the more stressed you feel.
How Can I Break the Loop?
Engaging in stress-relieving activities is one excellent way to break the tinnitus/stress loop. A few popular activities include:
- Making art. A 2018 review of the role of creative art in stress management found that participating in art forms, like drawing or clay-building, reduced stress and anxiety in all but three of the eleven studies. You don’t need to be a professional artist to benefit. What matters is the process, not the product. Choose a medium (paint, clay, etc.) that you enjoy and set aside regular time each week to engage with it.
- Practicing yoga. A 2015 review of the impact of yoga on stress found that regular practice can help regulate both the sympathetic nervous system, responsible for the “fight or flight” response, and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, which governs the body’s overall stress response. Try following some free online videos for an easy start into this practice.
- Using a sound machine. For many people with tinnitus, silence can make the internal noise seem louder. Using a sound machine can help by introducing neutral or pleasant background sounds, which makes the tinnitus less noticeable. These devices can play white noise, nature sounds or soft music to help create a more relaxing environment. Sound machines are especially helpful at night when tinnitus is interrupting your sleep.
Seek Help From a Hearing Specialist
Breaking the tinnitus-stress loop is an excellent step towards breaking the symptom’s emotional hold on you. Seeking medical care can help you take that relief even further. A few professional tinnitus management options include:
- Hearing aids. Many modern hearing aids include features specifically for tinnitus relief, like sound therapy or masking options.
- Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Working with a licensed therapist, CBT helps you shift your thinking patterns and reduce the emotional reaction to tinnitus.
- Tinnitus retraining therapy (TRT). TRT combines sound therapy with expert counseling to help your brain filter out the sound, reducing its negative impact on you.
If you’re ready to take control of your tinnitus, contact Davies Institute for Speech & Hearing today for an appointment with one of our specialists.