ADVICE ON COPING WITH TINNITUS
We cannot give medical advice, however as a self-help group we have found
the following information to provide useful to our members.
SUGGESTIONS ON HOW YOU MAY COPE WITH TINNITUS by John
Brown
Over the years whilst
"Whistle Stop" and the "help line" has been running we have
been in contact with many suffers. On the plus side of this, some tried and
tested methods for coping with Tinnitus, have come to light. As you will
appreciate there are many different causes of Tinnitus and therefore an equal
amount of relief to be found. The list below consists of various methods by
which suffers have found some relief from their Tinnitus. Please note the list
is not in any particular order.
Maskers
- Many sufferers have had great relief from a masker, (which are now used in
Retraining Therapy) but one must remember there is an art in using one.
Hopefully your GP can give you a referral letter for an appointment at a
hospital with an ENT department, where a masker can sometimes be obtained. If
your masker is not working correctly, you can have it checked by the
"Hearing Aid Users Volunteer Scheme".
Blood Pressure
- Have your blood pressure checked by your GP, if high it can be contributing to
your Tinnitus.
Tinnitus Clinic
- Most sufferers find having a thorough check by a ENT Specialist, or Hearing
Therapist is a great start, to coping with tinnitus. You will need a referral
letter from your GP before making an appointment.
Relaxation
- Any form of relaxation will help you cope, as the busier you keep the less
time there is for the Tinnitus to be apparent. Obviously concentrating can be a
problem, if this is the case do something more physical, a hobby like gardening,
or some sort of sport. Listening to relaxation tapes or music can also be
advantageous, but do not have the volume too high as this is often found to
aggravate Tinnitus. for example Self Hypnosis, Tai Chi or Yoga
Whiplash
- If your Tinnitus began after being involved in an accident; where you suffered
whiplash, or severe dentist treatment, it is possible that a qualified Cranial
Osteopath my be able to treat you.
Jaw Alignment
- When this is out, it can cause Tinnitus. In America this is automatically
checked on a Tinnitus Sufferer (referred to as TMJ).
Asprin
- This has been listed in various publications as something which can aggravate
Tinnitus. If you are taking Asprin as a pain killer, try paracetemol instead if
approved by your GP.
Diet
- Working out a diet that is suitable to you often helps reduce the severity of
your Tinnitus. Substances such as Yeast (Vitamin B); which strengthen your
nerves. Garlic, Onions etc. are just a few of the food types found that may
help. Try to keep a record of what you eat if you think food is contributing to
the problem.
Sleeping
- If sleep is a problem try keeping a Radio or TV on to prevent total silence.
Use a pillow speaker if your partner is disturbed. Some people have even found
having a radio not tuned to a station where a "sshhhing" sound can be
heard (a little like a mask-3r), is better than listening to music or speech.
Also some suffers have found that when they awake the noises are extremely bad
and by taking a glass of Lucozade or equivalent (i.e. something containing
sugar) has helped, the theory being that your sugar content drops whilst you are
asleep and this quickly replaces it.
Sounds
- Some people find different sounds reduce the volume of the noises, for example
one lady found using the vacuum cleaner had the effect of silencing her Tinnitus
for quite a while.
If you find such a sound helps
maybe it could be recorded and listened to using a personnel stereo, this is
similar to the basis on which a masker works.
Fantasy Therapy
- This technique can help by incorporating the noises into something
pleasurable, for example, imaging you are on an ocean cruiser and the noise is
the comforting sound of the ship"s engine. Another example you can image
your are getting into a lift with a noisy mechanism, as the button is pressed to
ascend, you move away from the disturbing sound, gradually leaving the noise
behind.
Ear exercise
- Beating the Heavenly Drum. This exercise stimulates and gives rest to the
inner ear. Many diseases of the ears, such as ringing and partial deafness, can
be helped or corrected with this exercise.
1. Place the index fingers of
each hand on the outside of the ears and fold over the outside flaps of skin
which lie next to the opening of the inner ear canal, so that you seal off the
ear from the outside.
2. Using the tips of your second
fingers, tap gently on the finger nails of your index fingers. When done
properly, you will hear a metallic sound much like the beating of a drum. Tap a
regular rhythm, slowly, 12 to 36 times.
3. Pause, then repeat for a total
of three times.
Other Problems
- Sort out any other problems you have as these may be contributing to your
Tinnitus. For example even flu can give the symptom of Tinnitus due to
congestion. You may find it worth trying alternative medicine such as
Acupuncture and Homeopathy when seeking relief from other ailments.
WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP ALLEVIATE YOUR TINNITUS by Dennis Munting
This article is mainly for new sufferers but I hope that it will be of some interest and benefit to others as well. The bad news first - at present there is no magic cure for tinnitus but that is not to say that there never will be since much research is being carried out. But there are steps that you can take which will help to make your tinnitus more bearable.
Avoid silence
Doubtless you have noticed that when it is quiet, e.g. during the evening or
night, your tinnitus seens louder. This is due to the fact that there aren't any
other sounds to help 'block out' your tinnitus. So the answer is that when your
tinnitus is intrusive you must avoid silence. You
can use your hi-fl or tape recorder (or your radio if there
is a suitable programme) to listen to fairly quiet soothing music, wide band noise (see later) or soothing sounds such as 'sounds of the seashore' or other 'nature sounds ' etc. All these sounds are collectively known as 'sound enrichment' or 'sound therapy'. But whatever you listen to it is important not to have it so loud that it completely
overrides (or completely 'masks') your tinnitus, but to be just able to hear the tinnitus above the level of the sound enrichment. The reason for this is that the sound enrichment gradually trains the brain to reduce the
intrusiveness of the tinnitus so that you become habituated to it and the brain cannot do this unless it can perceive (hear) the tinnitus. See also the BTA leaflet Sound Therapy
Sound enrichment during the night
That is alright for the day or the evening but what can be done about listening
to sound enrichment during the night? Several retailers sell a sound enrichment
(or sound therapy) device which plays various soothing sounds, usually for 30
minutes. These devices are sometimes worked by batteries so perhaps they could
prove expensive.
Playing a suitable tape in an ordinary cassette Waver is easy and cheap. 'Westclox' make a mains operated alarm clock (called Dreamscape Sleep Sounds) which also gives 60 minutes (or more) of nature sounds. It is sold by Argos for approximately £20. But the above methods, if others can hear them, are often not practicable during
the night. If this is the case you could try headphones plugged into audio equipment: they may be alright but headphones tend to slip off and be uncomfortable once you fall asleep. Or you could try an under-pillow speaker (a small loudspeaker placed under your pillow). It has a 3.5 mm jack which plugs into most audio equipment, cassette and CD players (if you do not know whether your appliance has a socket that will take a 3.5mm jack refer to the manufacturer's booklet).
One retailer of under-pillow speakers is RNID Sound Advantage (1, Metro Centre, Welbeck Way, Peterborough PE2 7U1-I - telephone 01733 232607 and ask them for a copy of their booklet called 'Solutions'. If you are hard of hearing [as I am] there are many items in this booklet which might be of interest to you). The price of the
under-pillow speaker is £10 (or £5.98 for one without a volume control. This lack of a volume control could perhaps be a disadvantage). They also sell a mains operated radio alarm clock with an under-pillow speaker (price £20) but with this you can only listen to radio programmes (which are not always suitable) or wide band noise. Packing and postage Is extra. There are other suppliers also and a list of them is given in the BTA leaflet 'Suppliers and Contacts'.
Wide Band Noise
You may have heard of a wide band noise generator. This looks like a hearing aid
and emits wide band noise into your ear. (If you tune a radio to an FM station
and then de-tune it just off the station the hissing noise that you hear is wide
band noise (this used to be known as 'white noise').
Sleeping pills
See the BTA leaflet Good Night Sleep Tight
Sleeping pills prescribed by your doctor should help you sleep, especially when you first suffer from tinnitus, but as time goes by they sometimes become less effective. They may also have unpleasant side effects - a frequent one is making you feel drowsy and 'not with it' the next day.
Stress
Tinnitus itself leads to stress; other problems that you may have may also lead
to stress. Without a doubt stress makes the tinnitus worse and this worsening
increases the stress and so on. You must break this circle. Learning to
relax is the answer. You can buy relaxation tapes or go to relaxation
classes (which are often part of a therapy called relaxation therapy). Talk to
the ENT consultant about this. Another way to relax is to get really absorbed in
some hobbies or pastimes that you enjoy in order to take your mind off your
tinnitus. See also the BTA leaflet Self Help
Diet and
Drink
Many people find that changing their diet makes no difference to their tinnitus
but others find that caffeine, cheese, chocolate and salt make the tinnitus
worse. If you want to experiment leave out just one type of food or drink for 2
weeks and see what the result is. Then go back to taking the food or drink for
another 2 weeks and then leave it out again for a further 2 weeks. Keep a note
of the effects in your diary. But if you find that altering your diet doesn't
help with your tinnitus why not go back to your normal diet rather than reduce
the quality of your life still further? To try leaving off caffeine use
decaffeinated tea and coffee. (By the way Cola also contains caffeine). To try
leaving off salt use Lo Salt instead. If you wake in the night do not drink tea
or
coffee (caffeine will keep you awake) but have a milky drink. See also the BTA leaflet
Drinks, Drugs and Food
Medicines
If your GP prescribes medicines for any illnesses that you have ask him or her
if they are contra-indicated for tinnitus.
Hyperacusis
People who have hyperacusis find loud noises or even domestic noises extremely
disturbing or perhaps painful and therefore they tend to seek silence. If they
also have tinnitus this is the worse thing that they can do - as mentioned
earlier tinnitus sufferers should avoid silence.
Pulsatile tinnitus
Some people have pulsatile tinnitus - this is a rhythmical tinnitus, in time
with the heartbeat: it is due to a change in the blood flow in the blood vessels
in the head and neck. This can sometimes be alleviated; for example, if it is
due to high blood pressure. You must consult your doctor. See the BTA leaflet Pulsatile
Tinnitus.
Alternative
Medicine
What about alternative medicine (for example acupuncture and reflexology)?
Controlled research has not shown that these have any effect on tinnitus but
often they relax the patient and relaxation does help the tinnitus sufferer to
cope more easily.
Current research and treatment
It is extremely interesting to find out about these so read the BTA magazine
'Quiet'. In addition~ previous editions of our newsletters have contained
various articles (for example Tinnitus Retraining Therapy, How the Ears Work,
and Reports on the tinnitus lectures hosted by the Redbridge and the Harlow
Tinnitus Groups at which there were several nationally known speakers). If you
would like copies of these I would be happy to let you have them -just give Jean
Brown a ring and she will pass the message on to me.
Dennis Munting
In October 2003 the RNID launched a new book called "Understanding Tinnitus" which has been well received by suffers. Below is a review of this book carried out by one of our members.
Understanding Tinnitus A review by David Jarvis
"If only this book had been available for me to read ten years ago..." In recent years much helpful information has been written on tinnitus but I believe that this is the first time that a single publication has provided such clear and straightforward information on the various symptoms, causation and management of tinnitus for the layman and professional. This book has been written by three healthcare professionals who have worked with patients who have tinnitus, and they have also experienced it themselves. The lay-out is user-friendly, and includes a considerable amount of information in its 70 pages.
The first chapter outlines the symptoms and nature of tinnitus, its prevalence in our society today and mentions some of the known causes. A section is devoted to "understanding how the ear works". The links between tinnitus hearing loss and other hearing disturbances are covered.
Chapter Two is about getting help for your tinnitus and is clear and straightforward. The authors admit that there is still work to be done on educating GP92s and other health professionals on this subject. They also offer guidance on alternative sources of help and advice.
I found the third chapter on managing tinnitus to be a very comprehensive survey of current techniques and approaches. It offers detailed descriptions of aids and devices which can alleviate tinnitus, types of therapy which can help (e.g. tinnitus retraining therapy - TRT), relaxation, counseling, and diet. They emphasis the importance of individuals needing to learn how to manage their own tinnitus.
Chapter Four concentrates on how to obtain a good night's sleep.
Chapter Five focuses on complementary medicine and shows how some of these therapies can be beneficial.
Chapter Six is an extremely valuable chapter on support networks, including advice on how to start one yourself
At the end of the book is a very welcome section listing organisations, websites, helplines, and books to aid people in their search for help and support.
This is an excellent, wide-ranging, many faceted book. I strongly recommend it to all who have an interest in tinnitus and I suggest that self-help groups should buy it to sell or lend to new members. However, on a personal note, 1 would hope that in future editions some mention might be made of the relationship between the tempero-mandibular joint (TMJ) and tinnitus and the help available from, for example, dentists and cranial osteopaths.
In conclusion, I quote and concur with the comments of Dr Ewart Davies on the back cover of the book where he writes that this is an outstanding treatise of tinnitus providing a huge volume of important information on the nature of tinnitus and techniques, equipment and treatments available to combat the condition.
Published by RNID 2003 97 ISBN 1-904 296-02-05 Price a £5-99p