Hi lovelies,

Nowadays, more and more of us are increasingly invested in our health and wellbeing. We’re taking all sorts of steps to ensure that we live healthy and happy lives. Now, there are main areas of focus that we’re all familiar with. Eat a healthy diet. Stay hydrated. Get your recommended exercise. Focus on your mental health. But when it comes to individual conditions, many of us are oblivious to many symptoms and conditions we may face and consequently leave things ignored and untreated for too long. For now, let’s focus on tinnitus. Now, even if you’ve heard of tinnitus before, chances are you don’t know the ins and outs of the condition. But it is estimated that around thirty million Americans suffer from the condition. While we tend to associate tinnitus with the elderly, it can affect people of any age, particularly those of us who work in loud environments, such as construction sites, the music industry, with pyrotechnics and more. So, let’s get to grips with the basics. Here’s everything you need to know!

Understanding tinnitus
First, let’s understand what tinnitus actually is. Put simply, tinnitus is the sensation of hearing a sound that is not actually there. Most people with tinnitus will hear a constant ringing, whooshing, humming, or buzzing noise in one or both of their ears. There are cases where it’s occasional, but in many tinnitus cases, it’s 24/7. The severity of these symptoms can vary drastically from one individual to another. For some people, tinnitus will be a mild inconvenience. For others, it can be hugely disruptive and irritating on a day to day basis.

Preventing Tinnitus
When it comes to tinnitus prevention, it is recommended that you avoid any particularly loud situations or scenarios. If you have no choice but to be in a loud environment, it’s a good idea to use hearing protection. There are specialist earbuds and ear coverings that can help. If you work in a loud environment, this may be provided as part of your PPE (or “personal protective equipment”).

Seeing a Specialist
If you believe that you may already be suffering from tinnitus, you should speak to a medical professional. The sooner the better, as this will help relieve your condition as quickly as possible if the cause of your tinnitus is rectifiable. This may involve a doctor removing a buildup of earwax and giving your ears a thorough clean. It could alternatively involve a course of antibiotics if the tinnitus is being caused by an infection.

Rectifying Hearing
Sometimes, tinnitus can be caused by hearing loss, or it can cause difficulties with hearing itself. Either way, you will need to see an audiologist if this is your case. A professional audiologist will be able to carry out a variety of hearing tests to identify and diagnose any issues with your hearing. They will also be able to monitor the extent of your hearing loss over time. A hearing aid could be provided to rectify hearing and ensure you can still hear well in spite of any tinnitus.

Relieving symptoms
Sometimes, tinnitus cannot be cured or resolved. But in these cases, there are a number of things you can do to relieve your symptoms and make life easier and more comfortable for yourself. Some options that you might want to consider include (but are not limited to):

Sound therapy - when you attend sound therapy, you will listen to neutral sounds that can effectively distract you from the sounds associated with tinnitus. This will give you a temporary break and respite.

Tinnitus retraining therapy (TRT) - this form of therapy encourages you to accept tinnitus and become used to the constant sound, rather than consistently being aggravated by it.

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) - CBT is relatively similar to TRT. It involves becoming used to your condition and accepting your condition as a part of your life.

Hopefully, you never have to experience tinnitus in your life. But being aware of its symptoms, its potential causes and what you can do to resolve it or become accustomed to it will make all the difference to your life if you ever do experience it. Keep the above information in the back of your mind at all times. That way, if you ever need it, you’ll know what to do and can take positive action sooner rather than later.