I wrote the following after reading of the terrible tragedy when a young man committed suicide not long after developing tinnitus from the use of headphones. If it helps one or two people to better cope with their symptoms it will be worth the effort.
Most animals have a mechanism shielding them from excessive noise. In mammals this is mostly achieved by 'turning their ears down'. Since the natural state of ears are 'pricked up' it takes a muscular effort to 'turn' them down which when released restores them to their natural state of alertness. Humans differ in this protective response by applying pressure through the tympanic muscle to dampen the effect of sound in the ear. Both methods involve the employment of muscles not ordinarily in use.
Unfortunately, I have suffered from tinnitus for many years and in my experience the operation of these muscles automatically engages other facial and skeletal muscles in associated groups. It is as if we humans are trying to 'turn our ears down'. As a result of this primordial response the resultant stress is ultimately experienced in narrowing of the eyes, tensing of the jaw, stiffening of the shoulders etc. In young people, although they may feel that stress, they are so habituated to noise they do not recognise it, but as they age the effects materialise in wrinkles and crow's feet etc as indicators of its presence. Tinnitus is a double-whammy in that it may be caused by excessive noise but, in turn, becomes an element and contributor of that very noise we instinctively react to.
I am fortunate in that I live in a quite area so one thing I find gives me some light relief is sitting silently in a quiet room and just 'listening' to external noises which are often that quiet I have to 'focus' on hearing them. This allows my ears to subconsciously 'relax' their attempts to dampen out noise. In turn, the corresponding muscle groups in face, shoulders and chest relax slightly too. It often helps if I imagine myself having Mr Spock's Vulcan-like ears gently unfolding from their turned down position shielding out noise to their pricked-up alertness seeking out sound.
On a few occasions I've relaxed so much that I could actually 'feel' my inner ears release their tension. It is helpful too if you can shut off the internal dialogue we all carry on in our heads. For many of us this is a task in itself and the cause of much of the tension that contributes to tinnitus. If you can eliminate, or at least reduce, the competition such dialogue has for our attention it will allow relaxation to be more profound.
After about half an hour of this progressive relaxation I feel as refreshed as if I had 'meditated'. For those who can't meditate, which includes me, this is a very good substitute. This is not a cure but I hope, at least, one person may read this advice and get some similar relief as I do
Most animals have a mechanism shielding them from excessive noise. In mammals this is mostly achieved by 'turning their ears down'. Since the natural state of ears are 'pricked up' it takes a muscular effort to 'turn' them down which when released restores them to their natural state of alertness. Humans differ in this protective response by applying pressure through the tympanic muscle to dampen the effect of sound in the ear. Both methods involve the employment of muscles not ordinarily in use.
Unfortunately, I have suffered from tinnitus for many years and in my experience the operation of these muscles automatically engages other facial and skeletal muscles in associated groups. It is as if we humans are trying to 'turn our ears down'. As a result of this primordial response the resultant stress is ultimately experienced in narrowing of the eyes, tensing of the jaw, stiffening of the shoulders etc. In young people, although they may feel that stress, they are so habituated to noise they do not recognise it, but as they age the effects materialise in wrinkles and crow's feet etc as indicators of its presence. Tinnitus is a double-whammy in that it may be caused by excessive noise but, in turn, becomes an element and contributor of that very noise we instinctively react to.
I am fortunate in that I live in a quite area so one thing I find gives me some light relief is sitting silently in a quiet room and just 'listening' to external noises which are often that quiet I have to 'focus' on hearing them. This allows my ears to subconsciously 'relax' their attempts to dampen out noise. In turn, the corresponding muscle groups in face, shoulders and chest relax slightly too. It often helps if I imagine myself having Mr Spock's Vulcan-like ears gently unfolding from their turned down position shielding out noise to their pricked-up alertness seeking out sound.
On a few occasions I've relaxed so much that I could actually 'feel' my inner ears release their tension. It is helpful too if you can shut off the internal dialogue we all carry on in our heads. For many of us this is a task in itself and the cause of much of the tension that contributes to tinnitus. If you can eliminate, or at least reduce, the competition such dialogue has for our attention it will allow relaxation to be more profound.
After about half an hour of this progressive relaxation I feel as refreshed as if I had 'meditated'. For those who can't meditate, which includes me, this is a very good substitute. This is not a cure but I hope, at least, one person may read this advice and get some similar relief as I do
Member
