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Tinnitus and Self-Help


Woman with yoga instructor; tinnitus and self-help concept

While tinnitus is said to have no cure per se, there are some things you can do to help yourself as you explore treatment options. 

For example, relaxation therapy can make the tinnitus sounds easier to ignore. Stress makes the volume of ringing in the ears louder, so while the sounds will not disappear through yoga or tai-chi, learning how to meditate will help lower anxiety which will in turn make the sound somewhat more manageable to live with. 

A simple exercise to start out with is to focus "past the noise" of the tinnitus and instead on the sound of your breathing. If that's impossible to do, try it initially with white noise or natural sounds in the background. 

Exercise is known to help people who suffer from clinical depression -- a condition that is very much associated with tinnitus sufferers. The physical well-being that exercise brings about lowers stress and again may make it easier to ignore and cope with the noise of your tinnitus. Concentrating on something other than the sounds in your head and ears can bring relief, and this is especially true at night when you're trying to sleep. 

In addition to white noise, you may wish to try bringing a crossword puzzle to bed, and not putting it down until your eyes literally begin to close. An exciting book is not a good idea, of course, because you could be up all night reading it. However, if you've got an old college psych or statistical analysis textbook, you should be snoring in no time. 

Good posture helps in breathing properly which in turn makes it easier to relax and to concentrate. Perhaps that just trying to keep your posture in line can create something else to focus on other than the tinnitus noise, but you can try it (either in conjunction with exercising) or through an approach called the Alexander Technique.

The Alexander Technique is a form of movement re-education that aims to improve posture, balance, and ease of movement. It emphasizes conscious awareness and control of movement habits and focuses on reducing tension and unnecessary muscle effort. The technique is taught through hands-on guidance and verbal cues from a certified teacher and involves individual lessons and group classes. It is commonly used to relieve stress and tension, improve posture and movement, and treat conditions such as back pain, neck pain, and headaches. 

Do be aware of what food or drinks aggravate your tinnitus. If you are like many who can't touch red wine or caffeine, you may also be sensitive to other food triggers. By keeping a journal for several weeks, you should be able to note any correlation between what you eat and drink and the intensity of your tinnitus. 

Reaching out to support groups can be extremely helpful simply to your morale. The fact that you're not alone and that others truly understand what you live with can be comforting. You can also get concrete help from support groups, especially ideas that other people with tinnitus have tried and which you wouldn't know of otherwise.

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