Is the ringing in your ears jingle bells or tinnitus? The holiday season can be especially challenging for the almost 15% of adults who experience tinnitus. We’ve compiled a guide of management strategies for tinnitus so you can get back to enjoying the holiday season you love.
Be Mindful of Stress
The association between tinnitus and stress is well-documented, and the holiday season can be particularly stressful. Pressures from travel, family dynamics, financial concerns, end-of-year deadlines at work and party planning can all weigh heavily on the mind.
Manage your tinnitus by managing your stress:
- Practice deep breathing or meditation.
- Prioritize good rest. Practice good sleep hygiene and get enough sleep every night.
- Get some exercise and eat a balanced, nutritious diet.
- Take breaks. When making plans, avoid overloading your social calendar. If you’re in the midst of an overstimulating party, take frequent breaks away from the crowd to decompress.
- Set a budget and stick to it.
- Communicate how you’re feeling with a loved one, trusted friend or mental health professional.
Watch Out for Excessive Noise
Exposure to loud noise can worsen tinnitus, and the holidays are a noisy time of year. Try these tips to decrease your exposure to excessive noise:
- Stand far away from speakers at loud parties if possible.
- Give your ears lots of breaks when in a noisy environment—even a five-minute trip to the bathroom can provide valuable respite.
- Carry earplugs or other hearing protection, especially at places like concerts or other loud gatherings.
- Watch volume levels. When listening to music or other audio through headphones, keep the volume at 60% of the maximum volume.
Consider Therapy for Tinnitus
Specialized audio can be used in therapeutic techniques designed to manage tinnitus. There are two main types of therapy for tinnitus: acoustic therapy and tinnitus retraining therapy.
Acoustic therapy uses white noise or other unobtrusive, gentle sounds to mask the sound of tinnitus. You can do this with any pair of headphones and an online acoustic therapy for tinnitus sound library.
Tinnitus retraining therapy also utilizes audio, but its goal is to retrain your brain to process tinnitus as background noise, thereby tuning it out.
If either of these sounds helpful to you, it’s a good idea to consult an audiologist before getting started to ensure that you’re using it appropriately and in a way that will effectively manage your tinnitus symptoms. Call Charleston ENT & Allergy today to learn more.