Now having tinnitus for about 5 years, being un-bothered by it for about 3 years now, I am confident in saying that regardless of how you got your tinnitus, whether by loud exposure or other means, there are ways in helping it: reduce in volume and emotional impact on your life.
First off, my ears were damaged by loud noises, in particular 1 extremely loud concert, and gunfire. Currently, I feel I have an increased sensitivity to certain noises, some of which cause pain. Emotionally I cannot be in a club or loud area, I begin to stress and sweat because I remember what it was like to have extremely loud tinnitus. I guess it is a sort of emotional trauma. I did cry over having it, being deaf for about 5 days after the concert. However I found many ways to make it reduce in volume, and once that happened I felt I had some control over it. Once you gain this control, even when your ears ring it won't bother you.
I now protect my ears every time I go out in loud areas.
The Steps:
First off, my ears were damaged by loud noises, in particular 1 extremely loud concert, and gunfire. Currently, I feel I have an increased sensitivity to certain noises, some of which cause pain. Emotionally I cannot be in a club or loud area, I begin to stress and sweat because I remember what it was like to have extremely loud tinnitus. I guess it is a sort of emotional trauma. I did cry over having it, being deaf for about 5 days after the concert. However I found many ways to make it reduce in volume, and once that happened I felt I had some control over it. Once you gain this control, even when your ears ring it won't bother you.
I now protect my ears every time I go out in loud areas.
The Steps:
- Make a plan. The act of saying "I will find out what ways I can effect my tinnitus" immediate changes your perspective on tinnitus. Start with diet and exercise. Certain foods and exercise will HELP YOUR TINNITUS GO DOWN. Tinnitus is in the brain, it is your ears hearing themselves. You're brain says "I cant hear that frequency, something is wrong" so it sends more electricity to boost your hearing, but this registers as a ringing because that frequency can't be heard. Your brain is in overdrive. Take it to other places.
- Sound therapy helps out greatly. Download a simple frequency generator, play the frequency you hear your tinnitus and play it periodically. This helps calm the brain. As you stress over tinnitus you only send more attention to the ears, making it louder than it really needs to be. Tinnitus is a mind game.
- Needless to say, protect your ears. Learn the power of insisting they be protected when you feel necessary.
- Log your progress. My tinnitus no longer affected me after 6 months. But it all starts with developing a plan of how you plan to help yourself.