Managing Life with Tinnitus – A Personal Journey

Is there an explanation for it? An underlying diagnosis?

Typically, Tinnitus is described as buzzing, ringing, hissing or chirping sounds in the ears. The noises are generated by the brain and perceived in the ears. Tinnitus is considered a symptom of some underlying condition, and not a disease in itself. Although the noises may sound the same, there are different types of tinnitus due to many different causes – from earwax plugs to brain tumors.

Therefore, it is important to talk to the doctor about a possible diagnosis, treatment or specialist referral. Provide details. Usually, the first step is to order professional, diagnostic hearing tests because hearing loss is a leading cause of tinnitus – but not the only one.

NOTE: It is important to report heartbeat/ pulsing and/or blood roaring/rushing ear sounds at once. This is could be pulsatile tinnitus. The patient may be referred to a heart specialist for investigation.  

Drugs and chemicals can contribute. The pharmacist may provide some insights by reviewing all medications, including over-the-counter meds and recreational stuff. Audiologists also offer advice and help with current therapies, devices, and strategies for managing tinnitus.

Taking all the information on board, many patients develop their own ways or “recipes” for dealing with the issue. But what works for one person might not help another!

My tinnitus journey

For almost twenty years, I have been dealing 24/7 with Subjective Tinnitus. This is the most popular type. Only I hear the invasive “phantom” sounds. In my case, the sounds are permanent. They are generated by the brain as a result of permanent hearing loss, which was caused by sudden significant damage to my left inner ear and hearing nerve. My motivation is to preserve the hearing that I have. The risk is that tinnitus gets worse if hearing gets worse. And who wants that? Research is being done but so far, there is no cure. For some people with both hearing loss and tinnitus, hearing aids can also relieve tinnitus but unfortunately, that has not worked for me. Every case is different.

In pursuit of finding answers and maybe relief   

The best thing I ever did was to learn about tinnitus. Understanding the nature of the noise gave me choices and empowered me. Besides talking to professionals and self-learning, I began to observe the behaviors and antics of this “phantom of the ear.”   I found tinnitus to be a highly emotionally charged situation. I became aware of triggers. Whatever revved up the brain, revved up tinnitus: Stress, anxiety, loud noise, lack of sleep, too much caffeine, even wild barometric pressure changes etc. Nice to know! But I urgently needed coping skills for daily living. In the end, I learned a lot about myself and tinnitus in support group meetings. Nowadays, people can join such groups online. When I first arrived at my in-person group, I was angry, resentful and seriously stressed. Stress generated more stress – and the brain went wild. I had started clenching my teeth and came down with the beginnings of TMJ, which was painful and worsened tinnitus.   

6 things that I learned for managing tinnitus

• I concentrated way too much on the noise, thereby letting tinnitus rule me. My negative reaction and attitude aggravated the annoyance.   
• I had to temper my Type A personality. I kept obsessing. Instead, I had to find ways to calm, distract and refocus the brain – the generator of the din. I learned the value of relaxation techniques. I now allow myself to take breaks, Changing my environment and activity helps to redirect the brain. I go for a walk, do laundry, whatever! I also got a hearing aid with a tinnitus program of “fractal” sounds. It’s like listening to wind chimes. At first, the chiming drove me nuts but now I appreciate the soothing effect.
• Total silence is not a good thing because then ALL one hears is the buzz and hiss. I discovered noise-reducing headphones. I found comfort in listening at low volume to Nature tunes and meditation music. To this day, this is my first line of defense whenever tinnitus cranks itself up. At night, I use a fan for some distracting, neutral background noise
• The long-term goal is to “habituate” to tinnitus. One gets used to it. I made progress once I quit denying it, obsessing over it or even fighting it. I accept that things are different now and that working with the situation is the way to go.  
• In times of stress, I must be careful not to get hooked. It is OK to kick back or to say No! to events and expectations that are sure to become tinnitus triggers or aggravators. Loud venues are my enemies.    
• It is not all about me! It is also a lot about others. And so, I am grateful for the health and hearing that I still have, for those who helped and supported me over the years, for the technology that gives me relief and for the researchers who continue to look for ways of silencing or at least taming tinnitus. 

And life goes on…

A normal daily work-and-rest routine keeps tinnitus pretty much in the background. It no longer monopolizes my days and nights. Meanwhile, I rediscovered my love for history, which uplifts me and helps refocus my attention. Tinnitus continues. I still don’t like it, but I am much better at not giving it power.  And so, I live in relative peace with the ear phantom, but I am always ready to disarm it and to stick it back into its box where it belongs.