A Positive Thread: What Calms Your Tinnitus?

OK, a positive thread: What, if anything, helps your t calm down? Please also let us know the reason for your original t onset. I think this info might really help some of us. Thanks so much, All.

 

Hi Lisa, i think this is a fantastic thread, i haven't really found anything that calms it down as i'm still way too anxious and fearful of it at the moment!!! but i'm looking forward to hearing what works for others, and trying them out, how are you doing at the moment? any improvements?

 

Thanks, @carol kane
No improvement as yet. Grrr.
Mine was caused by local anesthetic 4 months ago.
My t does seem to have a mind of its own. But I know that sleep and stress reduction often helps. Exercise, yoga, massage, long walks, distraction, talking to friends.

 

Lisa what was the local anesthetic for? Are you returning to the UK soon? sorry to go off topic!

 

@carol kane , I've messaged you.

 

Laying on my back with a small pillow under my neck with my head back. Very slowly the sound seems to lessen.
And, some accupressure. The best quick fix is busy activity.
I've had T for decades because of loud music.

 

Yes, Brian. My higher t sounds seem to diminish when I put a covered hot water bottle at the back of my neck, base of my head. But my two lower tones, with the initial onset of anesthetic, do not seem to react to that.

 

Sorry, not quite sure why I called you Brian

 

Nothing calms my T but when I'm focused on something else I'm less aware of it. When you are thinking of something else you aren't thinking of tinnitus.

 

I'm not exactly sure why my T started; perhaps too much Ibuprofen for osteoarthritis pain and loud music from ear-buds while running (that's my best guess). I also suspect my T is derived from my upper cervical issues (C 5/6/7)

I find the following helpful (even though during physical activity my T will likely increase, it decreases substantially afterward)

Playing racquetball (2+ hrs)
Running long distance (6 miles)
Swimming (2500 m)
Icy Hot Patch on the neck/shoulders and a heating pad
Good night's sleep

But most of all, finally learning not to react to it; that was/is the Olympic Gold Medal

 

Thanks, @Mark McDill
Seems that if you got your cervical issues seen to, maybe the t may even go away.
Great that exercise works for you too.
Thanks for sharing.

 

The reason for mine was long-term exposure to loud music and stress. Good sleep and relaxation calms mine down, also focusing on other things.

 

Focusing on something else and good sleep.
Also sitting on the balcony or going for a walk listening to the birds helps.
But mine does not change very much.
Stress makes it louder.

I think at the end of the day you should try living as you did before T onset.
Otherwise you have always in your mind that it has changed your life.
Of course this is much more difficult than said.

 

Usually mine lessens overnight; sometimes when I wake up the T is much lower. As soon as I get to work it starts up again. Sometimes I can't wait to come home and go to bed to escape it. I think mine is cervical related as well, so laying down helps quiet it. I've also been trying restructuring my diet and loading up on vitamins, but so far I've not really noticed a difference. I also had myofascial therapy for 7 weeks, but that didn't seem to do anything for the T (altho it felt good).

 

Thanks, All. @DebS : Hopefully, you have tried too osteopath/chiro to straighten the misalignment.
I have cervical issues too, and googled some really helpful things re cervical and tinnitus. There are even some surgeries that helped resolved the t.

 

No, I haven't been to a chiro yet...have you? If so, did it help?

 

I have to agree with Deb a good nite sleep always quiets my T ....I love the mornings T seems to always be at its lowest. ....Sometimes couple beers does the trick also

 

Relaxing my shoulders and forcing my chin in helps me. Now that I focus on this posture issue my Tinnitus is completely gone. Been like this for a few weeks now.

 

^ sounds very encouraging, because I may have this same issue. Forward head posture, neck problems etc...

 

Calming it down is sort of relative. I believe my tinnitus was brought on by extreme stress, anxiety and sleep deprivation. Although I've gotten better at managing those things, the tinnitus remains with me.

I have created song playlists of calming music and use Bose QC-15 noise canceling headphones. The only "white noise" that seems to help is a gentle stream sound of flowing water. A 20-30 minute dose of this sometimes help. Running outside helps sometimes too as it focuses my mind "in the moment" and takes the focus off the sound.

I also use Xanax towards the end of a really bad day but I use it sparingly.

 

T came from scuba diving. I listen to nature sounds and pray a lot.Trying to push forward and think positive.

 

@Mark McDill
Please, what is an "icy hot patch" (i don't know English very well).

 

A good night's sleep, and "Journey into Relaxation" by Yasmine Buraik, here's a link:

https://sites.google.com/site/yasmineburaik1/

Soft Belly mediation is deep breathing. I also love Relaxation Room, Autogenic Relaxation, Progressive Relaxation and Place of Bliss. I never did anything like this before my T but I was willing to try anything and it really helped me. Now it's part of my day. Yasmine is also on iTunes podcasts (free).

 

Howdy everyone,

Perhaps not entirely off thread [still new to forum] -- I agree that a restful night of sleep usually calms T. But, what do forum members often use to obtain frequent nights of restful sleep?

MCK Trader

 

I was a scuba diver years ago and I think that the barotrauma that effected my middle ear back then may be responsible for it. Back then, since I couldn't equalize well in the right ear, there was some build-up of blood in the middle ear that was flushed out in the Eustachian tube using medication. When I get T, the right ear feels stuffy like there's a Eustachian tube blockage. Sometimes I use the Tinnitus Tamer and set it to generate tones at about 4000Hz which simulates a bathroom shower. Also taking the natural form of alpha lipoic acid (R-Lipoic Acid) which is a strong anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory agent.

 

I drink cat's claw tea i find it help my anxiety and it states helps with inflammations. Mine was due to ear syringing and or the drops they recommended AFTER the syringing which I have recently found out that contain Lidocaine (which has tinnitus as a side effect).

 

Drinking my beloved craft beers makes mine better. Or maybe it just makes me not care about it.

Of course, I can't become an alcoholic because of T. LOL. So drinking every day isn't an option.

I think mine started because of good 'ol Advil - Ibuprofen - which I was taking after dental surgery and a back injury.

 

it's for sore muscles

 

Hey great FOCUSSED thread here!

I am going to come off caffiene end of the month - there is always a spike with that one.

Recently downloaded some hypnosis tracks, one specifically for tinnitus - helped me to relax deeply and then be less emotionally affected by the tinnitus after I hear it.

As with everyone else - when I am focussed on the topic/conversation I forget the tinnitus.

 

Meditation and Mary Jane.