Poll: Does Deep Breathing Reduce Your Tinnitus?

I'm not sure why, but breathing deep, even when I'm alone in a silent room, reduces my tinnitus drastically, and I don't breathe deep in a way that's for relaxation. I noticed this when I was swimming last year and came up for air (I hear tinnitus underwater as well... go figure) and when I was gasping for air, my tinnitus subsided as I was gasping for air. Afterwards it returned.

I thought it was really due to water pressure or something similar to that since I went underwater a few times. However, a few days later I tested taking a deep breath again and had success in lowering my tinnitus while doing it.

Have you experienced anything similar from taking a deep breath?

 

Well, for me, I think it's a case of just hearing myself generate noise louder when I breathe deeper/heavier, partially masking the tinnitus. If I hold my breath in a dead silent room the tinnitus immediately comes blaring back.

 

@Farkon, yes, deep breathing and focusing on the breathing tend to help me. It's calming, and stimulates the vagus nerve.

 

Yes. Diaphragmatic breathing reduces my steady tones, which are the most troublesome in the night.

However it doesn't do anything for my ultra-high fluctuating tones, or my bass rumbles. Still, one out of three ain't bad.

 

I noticed recently that my tinnitus can actually spike a bit from a deep breathing exercise where you breathe in deeply through your mouth, hold and then exhale through the nose. I don't know why that is.

 

Be careful as breathing exercises gave me and a whole bunch of other tinnitus.