The Do's and Don'ts of Tinnitus?

I'm sick of my tinnitus getting worse because of me doing things to make it worse that I shouldn't have, such as taking a bad medication that worsens it...

I really would just like to have a detailed list of what to to do, and what not to do..

More importantly what NOT to do, but yeah :/

 

For me it seems loud environments make it worse.

Alcohol, salty food etc seem too have no effect. Just noise.

Stay away from noise.

 

Have not figured it out yet. Mine will be screaming loud one day and then moderate the next. I havent had a quiet day in 10 months now

 

Loud noise exposure is the most common cause of tinnitus therefore:
1. Try to keep away from noisy environments.
2. Wear ear protection when using noisy electrical power tools and gardening equipment like a petrol lawn mower
3. Wear ear protection if attending night clubs, concerts or the cinema. Even then you're not completely safe. If sound is loud enough it can be transmitted to the inner ear via the mastoid bone. This the hard piece of bone behind each ear. It is honeycombed and has air pockets within it.
4. The worst culprit of them all in my opinion is: Headphones. No-one with tinnitus should listen to music through them even at low volume, especially when the condition was caused by loud noise. Headphones in my opinion are dangerous to the auditory system. If I had my way they would be banned or a device fitted so that they couldn't go beyond a certain volume.

 

Don'ts:
Don't be a slave to tinnitus. Of course if you read this board, anxiety is in every other sentence. Anxiety is bad and of course the first natural reaction to getting something awful that won't go away like tinnitus. But...you have to rebalance and focus on what you enjoy in life and get back to it and toss anxiety aside if you want to be happy. I know. Easy to say, hard to do...especially if addicted to activates that involve louder sound levels.

So I hear a lot about depression and anxiety on this forum as people struggle with their tinnitus. I am scared if I do this or that. Will my tinnitus spike if I walk into a dark room if barefoot instead of wearing socks? I don't hear much about sex. I know sex isn't necessarily a public topic, but I highly recommend it to stave off anxiety and engage in something that is a lot of fun which is a great anxiety killer. To me, the best antidote for tinnitus is doing what you enjoy.

Do's:
Lots of sex.

 

Don't
Stay in loud environments (= where you have to raise your voice to be heard)
Take ototoxic drugs
Focus on the T

Do
Enjoy your life
Keep in mind that it's just a signal in your brain and that maybe your brain will be able to ignore it some day

 

A T can be like a woman.., unpredictable!
I guess everyon has to find out what works best, for me.., sometimes I need more rest, the next day I shouldn't cuz I need some destraction as well. What does not work for me are the white noises, they make the T peak like an idiot.
I do have to be carefull with the amount of energt I have. The T can drain you empty.

 

Haha I'm 13 lol

 

Do take mindful walks in nature. Closely observe movement and get a sense of place. Breathe the fresh air.
Don't eat spicy or sugary foods especially before bedtime.
get engaged with whatever project interests you, This will break the cycle of continuous rumination on your noises.
Good luck

 

Well of course you need to try to protect your hearing as well as possible. You have the warning signs that your hearing is very sensitive and you have done some damages to the hair cells that send signals to the supporting cells that transmit what we hear into the sounds. A few statements above are very true. I also believe headphones and ear buds are a horrible idea, even for those with no hearing issues or tinnitus. A nice subtle amount of background music is typically fine and the sound waves can dissipate in a larger environment. Using headphones and buds concentrate these sound waves to be limited to a very short area (ear canal) with less chance to be absorbed in other things like walls, rugs, insulated walls, etc. If you live in a place that has hardwood floors and lots of glass, the sounds will bounce around the room more and continue to assault the ears. Soft furniture like most material made couches,rugs and beds will help absorb these waves too.

Keep some noise reducing buds or headphones available when around loud areas. Listening to music and televisions/movies should always be enjoyed. Turn these things up too much and you're playing with fire. Video games are bad this way too. They are geared to deliver a ton of bass to make you feel like your in the fight. Maybe cool off of them awhile and use the volume correctly when you do play them. We can't protect our hearing all the time. Car alarms chirping, fire trucks whaling, ambulances and cop cars, kids popping a balloon, noisy gymnasiums, you drop yur glass of water on a hard floor...... I mean these things are going to happen.

Never stress out about what you can't do in these situations. As long as you remain vigilant and smart about things you can help, you will slowly get better and have less spikes etc. After awhile you simply get used to your tinnitus. I know I did but it took YEARS!!! After that. life becomes somewhat normal again and you will have so many awesome days ahead.

Much love brother!

Mike

 

All the more reason....hmmm....maybe not....this is a public forum.
Blows my mind so many young people are here with tinnitus....dam.

Protect your ears is the biggest thing moving forward. There will be a cure in your lifetime or at least therapies that reduce the symptoms of T....I am quite certain. By the time you are 40 young man, the medical industry will employ super computers and artificial intelligence to solve disease.

Only you know how you feel emotionally going through this at such a young age. What I suggest, if you struggle with this emotionally and everybody here understands this struggle, if you feel you can't concentrate in school and/or T is ruling your life, see a therapist for counseling and/or medication to tweak your brain chemistry so you will be less affected and can focus on your schooling. Chasing girls is a good distraction as well.

Best of luck