What is tinnitus?
The sensation of hearing a sound when there is no external source for that sound. Someone with tinnitus may hear ringing, buzzing, hissing, whistling, musical instruments or other noises, it is very individual and unique to each person. Tinnitus can be there all the time or come and go, it may be mild or very intense and may also “spike” to become more intensive from time to time.
Who gets tinnitus?
Anyone can get tinnitus, even young children. One in three people get tinnitus at some point in their lives. One in ten people have tinnitus that doesn’t go away. It can be very distressing, especially in the initial stages. Managing tinnitus is a process of trial and error to see what works, but over time it is possible to reach a stage of habituation (where it is barely noticed)
What causes tinnitus?
The exact causes of tinnitus are not known but we know that it is not a disease or an illness. It is generally agreed that tinnitus results from some type of change, either mental or physical, not necessarily related to hearing (but it can be, so getting your hearing checked is one of the first things you can do )
What should I do?
Talk to your GP who will refer you to ENT/ Audiology to check for potential issues/ underlying conditions and refer to the Tinnitus Clinic.
Explore the Tinnitus UK website to learn more about tinnitus, including management techniques. There is information you can download, hints and tips, as well as a review of different tinnitus treatments. They have a helpline too.
Tinnitus UK https://tinnitus.org.uk Helpline 0800 018 0527
See below self-help information.
The Tinnitus Channel by Jack Rubinacci, a group leader for Tinnitus UK and the author of 2 books on tinnitus offers tools and advice about how to cope with tinnitus. Most of the information is geared towards general tinnitus suffers and some of it is geared towards musicians with tinnitus. https://www.youtube.com/@thetinnituschannel
Mindful activity anything you find completely absorbing can help, for instance: jigsaws, threading beads, knitting, looking at art or photography, crafting, colouring, walks in nature, sudoku, word searches, and other mindful games. Exercise can also help especially yoga and tai chi where your focus on breath with movement
Sleep is essential in helping manage Tinnitus, some group members find listening to audio books or having the radio on in the background helps them sleep others use mediation and relaxation techniques (all take practice so don’t give up if It doesn’t work first time). The Tinnitus UK page on sleep is a useful read
https://tinnitus.org.uk/understanding-tinnitus/living-with-tinnitus/sleeping/
Unwind with ITV can be useful to help unwind before bedtime
https://www.itv.com/watch/unwind-with-itv1/10a1889