TINNITUS? IT’S ALL IN YOUR HEAD

According to Tinnitus UK, tinnitus – the name for hearing noises that do not come from an outside source – affects some 7.6 million people here in Britain. So for every seven adults, around one of us will have tinnitus. And the condition is far more prevalent in those who are 65 years and older.

Often described as “ringing in the ears”, other sounds that can also be heard include buzzing, humming, grinding, hissing and whistling. Some people may hear sounds similar to music or singing, and others hear noises that beat in time with their pulse (pulsatile tinnitus).

For yours truly here (a very unwilling member of the “Tinnitus Community” since late September 2023!) I can describe it as a high-pitched electrical sound, not unlike what comes from your telly with the sound switched low, or Short Wave radio when it goes out of tune.

What causes tinnitus?

Big question this, with many possible answers ranging from hearing loss, Meniere’s disease, thyroid disorder, diabetes and multiple sclerosis to a blow to the head, brain tumours or side effects from certain medications.

In my particular case, having been through two hearing tests (results “excellent”, notwithstanding the long-term married man’s condition known as “selective deafness”!), plus a series of head scans – all revealing nothing sinister – the simple answer is, I just don’t know.

So while it’s important to seek medical advice to see if an underlying cause can be found and treated – and to help you find ways to cope with the problem, tinnitus is rarely a sign of a serious underlying condition.

For some people it may come and go and only be a minor irritation. However, for others, it can have a significant impact on everyday life and be very distressing, affect concentration, and cause problems such as difficulty in getting to sleep, depression, even suicidal thoughts. But fortunately, in many cases, tinnitus will get better gradually over time, either by disappearing or by the body getting used to it – something called habituation.

Tinnitus Dos and Don’ts

According to NHS guidelines, it recommends four things worth giving a go – having also visited your GP to see if there are any underlying causes:

– Try to relax – deep breathing or yoga
– Try to find ways to improve your sleep (see article on this very subject here at Regenerated Me)
– Try to avoid things that can make tinnitus worse, such as stress or excessively loud noise
– Join a support group, so you can talk to others in your situation to, hopefully, help you cope better

And here’s a few pointers to things not to do:

– Do not have total silence – listen to soft music or sounds such as white or pink noise (available as an app on your mobile, tablet or computer) as this can help distract you from it

– Do not focus on it – this can usually make it worse – so undertaking hobbies and activities will help take your mind off it; by taking steps to give tinnitus less “house room”, it will come to dominate your thoughts less and so become less of an issue

– Do not – REPEAT, DO NOT – fall for any of the “miracle cures” touted on social media, nor for the dubious scare tactics these sales messages often carry, saying you’ve got brain damage or onset dementia. There’s nothing quite like social media for picking up on people’s ailments and fears, and then flogging them a gallon of snake oil!

Regarding where I am now with my own tinnitus, I certainly feel some sense of relief insomuch as I now know there are no dangerous underlying causes. And I can personally attest to the idea of distraction and keeping busy so that I don’t focus on the tinnitus, then panic and make it worse!

I try to be philosophical about it, so at the end of a day, I will ask myself what proportion of that day has actually been adversely affected by it. In real terms, by following many of the tips here, I find that the proportion is actually very small – and far better than, say, having chronic back or joint pains.