I've been reluctant to post on this site until I was somewhat certain that the changes I've made were having a long-term impact. That being said, I figured now was the right time to share my story in hopes of helping others navigate their challenges with tinnitus.
First, a bit of background: I've had tinnitus (a single, constant, high-pitched tone) for most of my life. I'm currently 59. According to my mother, I had terrible ear infections as a child, and one of my earliest memories is hearing a ringing in my ears. Not knowing any different, I thought everyone experienced this, so over the years, I learned to easily ignore the sound.
Since my late twenties, I've played live music, and the acoustic trauma from that made my tinnitus a bit worse. But, having been so used to the ringing, it was easy to habituate.
Fast forward to a year and a half ago. For a few weeks, without any apparent cause (no acoustic trauma, infection, or injury), I experienced a steady and significant increase in my tinnitus. For someone who had been habituated to the ringing, it suddenly became debilitating. The sound was inescapable, even with background or white noise. I also developed typewriter tinnitus (a Morse code-like beeping) in my right ear. For the first time in 55 years, I was genuinely concerned about my condition, and my quality of life suffered. I experienced distraction, difficulty concentrating, trouble focusing on conversations, fatigue, and depression.
After months of trying to endure and habituate, I decided to see a highly recommended ENT, hoping there might be some new advances in tinnitus treatment. Unfortunately, the visit was disappointing and unhelpful. So, I decided to do my own research to further understand the condition. After learning there were still no available cures, I began examining a long list of factors that can exacerbate tinnitus:
I recognize that this is just my experience, and others' situations may differ. However, I believe this approach has merit. It doesn't rely on a single solution, cure, or magic pill (wouldn't that be nice?). It's a multifaceted strategy addressing many potential contributing factors.
Now, some of you might wonder, as I did, how I can know which change caused the improvement in my tinnitus. After some thought, I realized it doesn't matter. Whether it was one change or a combination of several, all of these adjustments contribute to my overall health and well-being. I'm not willing to revert to my old habits to figure it out, especially if it could lead to a flare-up of my tinnitus.
So, I encourage you to make your own list and commit to your own changes. Yes, you have tinnitus, but maybe your current habits are contributing to its intensity. Give it a try. If it helps, even a little, great! If it helps a lot, even better! And if it doesn't help your tinnitus, you may still gain other valuable health benefits that could give you the mental and emotional strength to better cope with your condition.
I'll admit, sticking to all of these changes was tough, especially at the beginning. Sweeping, long-term change is hard. But I can confidently say that the journey to "almost quiet" has been more than worth it.
In closing, I'm not the type to post on forums or engage with social media, but I've made an exception here in hopes of helping someone searching for relief. I'll check in periodically to update and respond to any questions. In the meantime, I sincerely wish you the best in your search for your "almost quiet."
First, a bit of background: I've had tinnitus (a single, constant, high-pitched tone) for most of my life. I'm currently 59. According to my mother, I had terrible ear infections as a child, and one of my earliest memories is hearing a ringing in my ears. Not knowing any different, I thought everyone experienced this, so over the years, I learned to easily ignore the sound.
Since my late twenties, I've played live music, and the acoustic trauma from that made my tinnitus a bit worse. But, having been so used to the ringing, it was easy to habituate.
Fast forward to a year and a half ago. For a few weeks, without any apparent cause (no acoustic trauma, infection, or injury), I experienced a steady and significant increase in my tinnitus. For someone who had been habituated to the ringing, it suddenly became debilitating. The sound was inescapable, even with background or white noise. I also developed typewriter tinnitus (a Morse code-like beeping) in my right ear. For the first time in 55 years, I was genuinely concerned about my condition, and my quality of life suffered. I experienced distraction, difficulty concentrating, trouble focusing on conversations, fatigue, and depression.
After months of trying to endure and habituate, I decided to see a highly recommended ENT, hoping there might be some new advances in tinnitus treatment. Unfortunately, the visit was disappointing and unhelpful. So, I decided to do my own research to further understand the condition. After learning there were still no available cures, I began examining a long list of factors that can exacerbate tinnitus:
- Alcohol
- Caffeine
- Additional acoustic trauma
- Stress
- Dehydration
- Musculoskeletal issues (cervical spine restrictions, TMJ, etc.)
- Inflammation
- Certain foods
- High sodium intake
- Sugar
- Allergies
- Elevated blood pressure
- Smoking
- Poor sleep
- Medications
- And more
- Alcohol: Daily beer drinker
- Caffeine: Half a pot (or more) of coffee per day
- Stress
- Elevated blood pressure
- Dehydration: Rarely drank water
- Musculoskeletal: Engaged in intense resistance exercise, leading to tightness in my neck, shoulders, and mild TMJ
- Medication: Somewhat regular Ibuprofen use
- Allergies: Significant increase in allergies over the past few years
- Inflammation: Chronic sinus inflammation, likely related to allergies
- Alcohol: Switched to non-alcoholic beer, though I still have regular beer a couple of times per week (limited to 2-3)
- Caffeine: Reduced to 1-1.5 cups every other day
- Hydration: Drinking plenty of water daily
- Stress and blood pressure: Engaging in mindfulness and stress-reducing activities while continuing regular exercise; my blood pressure is now consistently below 120/80
- Musculoskeletal: Changed my exercise routine and worked to reduce neck, shoulder, and jaw restrictions through stretching, dry needling, massage, and even switching pillows to improve neck support during sleep
- Stopped Ibuprofen use (except for acute injuries)
- Allergies: Taking one Zyrtec daily
- Inflammation: Taking care to avoid inflammatory foods, even though my diet is already good
- Acoustic protection: I carry earplugs everywhere to protect against additional acoustic trauma in loud environments
I recognize that this is just my experience, and others' situations may differ. However, I believe this approach has merit. It doesn't rely on a single solution, cure, or magic pill (wouldn't that be nice?). It's a multifaceted strategy addressing many potential contributing factors.
Now, some of you might wonder, as I did, how I can know which change caused the improvement in my tinnitus. After some thought, I realized it doesn't matter. Whether it was one change or a combination of several, all of these adjustments contribute to my overall health and well-being. I'm not willing to revert to my old habits to figure it out, especially if it could lead to a flare-up of my tinnitus.
So, I encourage you to make your own list and commit to your own changes. Yes, you have tinnitus, but maybe your current habits are contributing to its intensity. Give it a try. If it helps, even a little, great! If it helps a lot, even better! And if it doesn't help your tinnitus, you may still gain other valuable health benefits that could give you the mental and emotional strength to better cope with your condition.
I'll admit, sticking to all of these changes was tough, especially at the beginning. Sweeping, long-term change is hard. But I can confidently say that the journey to "almost quiet" has been more than worth it.
In closing, I'm not the type to post on forums or engage with social media, but I've made an exception here in hopes of helping someone searching for relief. I'll check in periodically to update and respond to any questions. In the meantime, I sincerely wish you the best in your search for your "almost quiet."
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