After a long discussion with Alan, a recent tinnitus sufferer, about some of the facts and myths around tinnitus sounds, I became frustrated when he also told me about some of the information he had been finding online.

This sparked my curiosity and I started reading through some of the content that Alan had been reading over the past number of months.

After spending a significant amount of time jumping from website to website finding myself becoming more and more frustrated, I felt the best way to put my frustrations into action was by putting together this article.

I’m going to explain some of the myths and hard facts around tinnitus sounds that will hopefully encourage you to see tinnitus in a more positive light.

Is there a cure for tinnitus?

No, there is currently no cure for tinnitus in a medical form. There are drugs that can help reduce the severity of tinnitus and help manage the behaviour disorder associated with this condition. It’s important to understand these drugs will not eliminate tinnitus. Also, there is currently no FDA approved medication to cure tinnitus.

Will having tinnitus make you eventually go deaf?

No, having tinnitus will not eventually make you go deaf. If you have tinnitus you need to speak to a health professional as it is common for people to start experiencing tinnitus due to bad hearing. It’s estimated that around 15 million people in the UK have some form of hearing loss and a further 1 in 10 have tinnitus.

How are tinnitus and anxiety related?

Anxiety associated with tinnitus is very common and many sufferers experience heightened tinnitus when they feel anxious. It’s important not to over think your tinnitus symptoms and be aware of your thoughts. There are drugs that manage anxiety and help the feeling of being anxious however they don’t cure tinnitus. People often think that these drugs cure tinnitus but they only help you to become less anxious.

Are behaviour disorders common with tinnitus?

Anxiety, stress, depression and insomnia are all common factors for tinnitus sufferers. This is not to say that you will experience behaviour disorders if you have tinnitus. It’s important to seek medical attention if you are experiencing any of these as this will help to manage tinnitus in a more positive way.

What are some of the other health related issues with tinnitus?

Experiencing tinnitus is usually an indicator that you may have damaged your ears in loud environments. That said, there are many other common related issues with tinnitus such as

1. Age-related hearing loss
2. Earwax build-up
3. Ear infections
4. Ménière’s Disease
5. In some minor cases, tumours

What are the main reasons people develop tinnitus?

People from all ages can develop tinnitus however the main reasons people will experience tinnitus is due to old age and excessive amounts of loud noise.

What are some of the best ways to manage tinnitus sounds?

Sound therapy

1. Many tinnitus sufferers experience heightened tinnitus sounds at night. This is due to the complete silence. Listening to neutral sounds at night does distract many sufferers from listening to the buzzing.

Counselling

1. Speaking to a professional such as Adrian Francis can be a great help as this allows you to talk through some of the issues you are facing. The aim is to give you the support to cope better with the condition.

Tinnitus retraining therapy (TRT)

Therapy that aims to help retrain the way your brain responds to tinnitus sounds so you start to tune the sound out and become less aware of it can be helpful.

How are stress and tinnitus related?

Stress is one of the main causes of tinnitus heightening, this is due to stress triggering our fight or flight mode. As a result, our senses are heightened and we become more aware of the situation we are in.

Does tinnitus go in time?

Although there is no current cure for tinnitus, in most cases sufferers state that tinnitus sounds do get better over time. This is due to our brains blocking out the noise as we longer see it as a harmful event.

What are some of the best organisations to source information from?

British Tinnitus Association

Tinnitus Talk

Now let’s look at some of the common myths surrounding tinnitus and tinnitus sounds.

Tinnitus is a serious medical condition

Tinnitus is not a serious medical condition. Although tinnitus can lead to symptoms of anxiety, stress and insomnia, many people live happy normal lives with the condition.

Cutting the hearing nerve will cure tinnitus

There have been reports of tinnitus sufferers in the past cutting the hearing nerve to cure tinnitus. Unfortunately doing this will only make you deaf while still hearing the tinnitus sounds.

Stopping hobbies will help tinnitus

Speaking to musicians, I often hear that they have stopped doing what they love due to tinnitus. Carry on with your passion as this will help your mind to stay focused.

You can cure tinnitus with medication

There is currently no medical cure for tinnitus.

Tinnitus is due to an unhealthy lifestyle

This is false. There are many reasons why people will experience tinnitus.

Searching the internet for facts and a better understanding of the condition can be challenging however educating yourself about tinnitus more can be a great way to manage the condition better and habituate to tinnitus. Going through some of these facts will, I hope, help to answer any pressing questions you may have. Furthermore, if you do have any questions please refer to the sources above in the facts section.