Tinnitus is not a disease.
Tinnitus is the perception of hearing a noise when there is no external source. It is extremely common, affecting around 6 million people in the UK or 1 in 8 people. Approximately 80% of cases were diagnosed aged 40 years or older.
What is tinnitus?
Tinnitus can be described as a whooshing, whirring, buzzing, ringing or whining and is often a mix of sounds.
Where do you hear it?
Sometimes it can be in the ears, one or both, sometimes it can be in the head and sometimes it can be in both the head and ears.
Is it bothersome?
Tinnitus usually isn’t a sign of something serious. However, if tinnitus is something new to you and is bothering you, see your GP
How does it affect you?
In some cases, the sound can be so loud that it can interfere with your ability to concentrate or hear external sounds. Sometimes, it can be connected with the heartbeat and sometimes people describe hearing music. It can be there all the time or it can come & go. It can affect anyone, at any time.
Tinnitus and mood.
Most people hardly notice it at all but for some, it can be more problematic and it can disrupt their quality of lives. How you think about your tinnitus can influence your emotional reactions. The brain may interpret the sound of tinnitus as something harmful to your well being. When you respond to tinnitus as a threat, you become stressed and anxious.
Two types of tinnitus:
Objective tinnitus is tinnitus that your GP can hear when they conduct an examination. This type of tinnitus is rare.
Subjective tinnitus is tinnitus that only you can hear. This is the most common type of tinnitus.
Relaxation
Relaxation is something that you do, it is not something that is done to you.
No-one can do it for you, it is something that you must choose to do in any way that suits you.
When we relax, it reduces stress arousal levels in the body which is why we feel physically and mentally refreshed after relaxing. People who feel tense often feel tired. It can be done anywhere and at any time.
You’ll get most benefit if you do it regularly, as part of your daily routine and it is a skill which needs to be learnt.
Common forms of relaxation are deep or Mindful breathing, progressive muscle relaxation or visualisation/imagery.
Prevention
In many cases, tinnitus is a result of something that can’t be prevented.
However, some precautions can help prevent certain kinds of tinnitus.
Use hearing protection
Over time, exposure to loud sounds can damage the nerves in the ears, causing hearing loss and tinnitus. If you use chain saws, are a musician, work in an industry that uses loud machinery or firearms (especially pistols or shotguns), always wear over-the-ear hearing protection.
Turn down volume
Long term exposure to amplified music with no ear protection or listening to music at very high volume through headphones can cause hearing loss and tinnitus.
Take care of your cardiovascular health
Regular exercise, eating right and taking other steps to keep your blood vessels healthy can help prevent tinnitus linked to blood vessel disorders.
