5 Steps to Deal with Symptoms of Tinnitus

Tinnitus is an ear problem commonly referred to as ringing ears and it is believed that 17 percent of the world population is afflicted by varying degrees of this condition. The problem lies within the inner ear where delicate nerve cells are present. Loud noise, ear infection, head injury, drugs, and aging are blamed for the malady. Symptoms of tinnitus are usually observed when a person begins complaining of a ringing and may often utter "I have a temporary ringing in my ears" and it may occur suddenly raising the brain alarm system. The following steps explain how to deal with the symptoms.

1. Dealing with tinnitus starts by accepting that you have the problem and you are committed to getting relief. This one is voluntary. Meaning, it is up to you whether or not you want to get better. Accepting that there is a problem is the first step in treatment process in any disorder.

2. The next step is to see a doctor to get medical information and opinion about your ear condition. Proper evaluation may point you to the culprit or to the kind of treatment you will need. In this sense, the cause may be identified and treated so that the ear condition itself alleviates.

3. During the treatment process it is important that the person finds valuable time for recreation and fun-activities, especially if he/she has to remain at home. Symptoms of tinnitus like ear ringing accompanied by anxiety and depression are less likely to be noticed if the person is preoccupied with stimulating activities that will take the mind’s concentration away from the ear noises.

4. Most people have the natural capacity to undergo habituation process. This is getting used to the ear noise, and it occurs only if the person no longer perceives tinnitus as a dreadful condition. Habituation is an important process because it is during this time when the person’s attempts to remove the ear-noise perception from the seat consciousness. It does not mean that he would no longer hear the noise. He would still do. In this stage, the brain learns not to tune in or listen to tinnitus noise. This successfully occurs if the person stops brooding about his/her disorder.

5. Lifestyle and diet must be changed. In fact, this perhaps has been told to you by your physician. How you live and what you eat greatly affects how you cope with tinnitus. For instance, avoidance of loud noises means that one must stay away from busy streets, club houses, disco bars, loud speakers, and equipment that generate loud noise. Stress must be minimized and ways to do this include enough rest and relaxation, not overtiring at work and not worrying too much. Smoking is forbidden. Diet should not include caffeine, high salt and high fat content.

Management of symptoms of tinnitus is important because although it is not a serious condition, statistics show that many people who have it do not lead normal lives.