Managing Tinnitus: Simple Lifestyle Changes You Can Make
•Posted on May 20 2024
Tinnitus is when you experience noise or ringing in your ears without an external sound source. It can vary in intensity, and frequency, and come through as ringing, buzzing, hissing, or clicking, all of which can be highly disruptive in daily life.
Tinnitus can be caused by various factors, including exposure to loud noises, ear infections, hearing loss, and certain medications.
And, while there is no cure for tinnitus, certain lifestyle changes can significantly reduce its impact and improve your quality of life. Adopting a healthy lifestyle can help you manage tinnitus symptoms by addressing some of its underlying causes and providing you with better coping mechanisms.
Lifestyle Changes That Can Help You Manage Tinnitus
Here are some of the changes that you can make to ensure tinnitus symptoms disrupt your daily life as little as possible.
Rethink Your Diet and Nutrition
This might come as a surprise, but by adopting healthier eating habits, you can alleviate tinnitus symptoms.
Certain foods can cause inflammation in the body, which may exacerbate tinnitus symptoms. Reducing or eliminating processed foods, sugary snacks, and high-fat foods can help decrease inflammation. Reducing your intake of caffeine and alcohol can also help.
Fluctuations in blood sugar levels can also affect tinnitus. Eating regular, balanced meals and snacks that include a combination of protein, fiber, and healthy fats can help maintain stable blood sugar levels.
Even hydration levels make a difference. Proper hydration helps maintain good blood circulation, which is essential for the inner ear's health. Improved blood flow can help reduce the severity of tinnitus symptoms.
Dehydration can also cause the fluids in the inner ear to thicken, potentially increasing the pressure and exacerbating tinnitus. Staying well-hydrated helps maintain the fluid balance in your ears, reducing the risk of increased ear pressure.
Mind Health Matters
Stress is a common trigger and can exacerbate tinnitus. The constant noise or ringing in the ears can create a vicious cycle where tinnitus causes stress, which in turn worsens your symptoms.
Managing stress effectively can help break this cycle and alleviate tinnitus symptoms. Here are a few things you can try:
- Mindfulness and Meditation. Mindfulness and meditation help you focus on the present moment, reducing the impact of stressful thoughts and feelings. These practices can calm your nervous system and lower overall stress levels, making tinnitus less bothersome.
- Yoga: Yoga combines physical postures, breathing exercises, and meditation to promote relaxation and reduce stress. It helps improve blood circulation and overall well-being, which can reduce the intensity of tinnitus.
- Regular Physical Exercise: Exercise releases endorphins, the body's natural stress relievers. Regular physical activity can improve your mood, reduce anxiety, and enhance your overall health, which can help lessen the impact of tinnitus.
Get Some Rest
Sleep might be the last thing on your mind when you’re in the middle of a tinnitus episode, but a good sleep routine can really help reduce symptoms, especially over the long term.
Establishing a good sleep routine and making sure your bedroom is geared toward a good night’s sleep is essential. Find ways to reduce any unnecessary noise, reduce distractions before bedtime, and keep your bedroom at a comfortable temperature to aid better sleep.
You can even consider using a white noise machine to make it easier to drift off to sleep. Essential oil diffusers really help too.
Consider Getting Professional Support
Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is a type of psychological treatment that is used to help people identify and change negative thought patterns and behaviors.
It is widely used to treat various mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression, and chronic pain. CBT has also been found to be effective in managing tinnitus by helping people alter their emotional and psychological response to the condition.
CBT can help you recognize and challenge negative thoughts about tinnitus, such as catastrophizing ("This noise will drive me crazy") or helplessness ("There is nothing I can do about this").
CBT can also help reduce stress and anxiety and improve sleep quality, all of which can alleviate the symptoms associated with tinnitus.
Turning to TinniFree for Support
At Vita Sciences, we understand how frustrating tinnitus symptoms can be, which is why we created TinniFree.
The TinniFree formula contains targeted ingredients shown to be effective for noise-free hearing support. In fact, the TinniFree® formula is based on clinical journal reports cited by leading tinnitus research organizations.
Here is how some of the main ingredients can help you better manage your tinnitus symptoms:
- Vitamin A: Vitamin A is essential for maintaining healthy inner ear structures and sensory cells responsible for hearing. Adequate levels of Vitamin A can potentially reduce tinnitus symptoms associated with hearing loss.
- Thiamine (Vitamin B1): Thiamine plays a crucial role in the functioning of the nervous system, including the auditory nerves that transmit sound signals to the brain. By supporting the nervous system, thiamine may help reduce the nerve irritation that can exacerbate tinnitus.
- Niacin (Vitamin B3): Niacin improves blood circulation, which is vital for delivering oxygen and nutrients to the inner ear, helping to alleviate tinnitus symptoms.
- Folate (Vitamin B9): Folate is important for DNA synthesis and repair, supporting the growth and maintenance of new cells in the ears.
- Vitamin B12: Vitamin B12 aids in the production of red blood cells, which are essential for delivering oxygen to the inner ear.
- Magnesium: Magnesium helps protect the inner ear from damage caused by excessive noise exposure and other stressors.
- Zinc: Zinc has antioxidant properties that help protect the cells of the inner ear from damage, which can help reduce tinnitus symptoms.
Final Thoughts
Tinnitus may not be curable, but there are a number of ways that you can better manage the symptoms, improving your daily life.
It’s important to note that these changes need to be applied over the long term for them to be effective. However, incorporating a supplement such as TinniFree into your routine can offer more immediate benefits.