Tinnitus: Tips for Quick Relief

Trawling through the search words and phrases that people are using to arrive at this site, it’s clear that many of you are looking for some level of instant relief for your tinnitus. Perhaps your tinnitus symptoms are new and therefore newly distressing and you’re looking for quick ways to cope. Or perhaps you’re experiencing a “tinnitus surge”, a sudden increase or spike in the intensity, loudness, or perceptibility of tinnitus symptoms which can be particularly distressing if you’ve never experienced it before (please know that these surges are almost always temporary).

While there’s no substitute for long-term work, there are a few things you can do in the short-term to move yourself towards being in control of your tinnitus.

Listen to (a specific type of) Music

Many people will recommend sound masking, such as white noise generators or ambient sounds. These are fine and if you find comfort in them, then by all means use them. However, may I suggest you try listening to some music?

In particular you should try complex, harmonically dense music that doesn’t include vocals. A 2012 study (Attanasio et. al., 2012) looked at the effect of listening to Mozart's sonata k448 (Piano Sonata in D Major) on tinnitus. It found a significant improvement in tinnitus perception after a single 1 hour exposure to this music. Although the study format included a session of CBT followed by Mozart, I’ve personally found the sonata, played once (around 25 minutes) on its own to be beneficial. Just remember, don’t play it too loud!

Avoid Triggers

Have you thought about what you were doing in the time period before the tinnitus got worse? Did you have a caffeinated drink or smoke a cigarette? Were you exposed to a loud noise? Did you take some medication or eat something high in sugar? Identifying and doing what you can to avoid triggers can be a major step forward. Although, in the case of medication, please be careful. Some over the counter medications such as aspirin and ibuprofen, especially if taken in high doses, have been known to aggravate tinnitus as have a number of prescription medications but you should always consult your doctor if you think a particular medication may be exacerbating your tinnitus.

Just (!) Relax

Yes, I know, easier said than done, right? But it’s important to know that perception of tinnitus is highly subjective and stress can play a major role. In fact there is a significant body of research indicating that stress can have an impact on tinnitus (Elarbed et. al., 2021). The more we perceive the tinnitus, the more stressed we get about it and the more stressed we get, the more we notice the tinnitus.

There are deep rooted evolutionary reasons for this (which I go into in more detail during tinnitus therapy sessions) but for now the important thing for you to know is that it’s easy to get into a stress feedback loop and anything you can do to break that loop will help. Whatever you normally do to relive stress is good, here are some of the things that I do:

Go for a walk

Just ten minutes walking out in the real world can do wonders for your mood and stress levels. Do not wear headphones to listen to music while you are out, just let in the sounds around you.

Breathe Better

By taking control of your breathing you can help your nervous system to shift from a stressed fight-or-flight mode to a more relaxed state. One method of doing this is known as ‘box breathing’ and it’s something you can do at any time, anywhere, without anyone noticing. Simply breath in over the course of four seconds, hold that breath for four seconds, breath out over the course of four seconds, hold for four seconds, and repeat for as long as you feel comfortable. Here’s a video to help. This slower, deeper, breathing signals to your mind that it’s time to relax.

Laugh

Watch something funny (tastes may very) or simply remember a humourous incident. Laughter and stress are natural enemies.

Stretch

We already know, from the breathing example, that the mind and body are connected. If you can release some tension in your body, you’ll probably also release tension/stress from your mind. In hypnotherapy we can do this using a technique called progressive muscle relaxation but you can do something similar for yourself with some gentle stretches and movements, just for a few minutes.

What not to do

I hope these few tips help you with the struggle you may be having controlling your tinnitus reaction but I want to end with a couple of quick tips on what not to do. Firstly, don’t waste time chasing miracle cures. You will have undoubtedly come across adverts for wonder drugs or supplements that claim to cure tinnitus. Unfortunately there is currently no known cure for tinnitus, when one is developed (and I’m sure one will be eventually) you’ll hear about it from reputable sources. In the meantime concentrate on management activities that have research evidence behind them. And secondly, don’t despair. There are plenty of strategies you can use to manage your tinnitus so that it fades into the background of your life. You can beat this.

Attanasio G, Cartocci G, Covelli E, Ambrosetti E, Martinelli V, Zaccone M, Ponzanetti A, Gueli N, Filipo R, Cacciafesta M. (2012). The Mozart effect in patients suffering from tinnitus. Acta Otolaryngol, 132(11), 1172-77.

Elarbed A, Fackrell K, Baguley DM, Hoare DJ. (2021) Tinnitus and stress in adults: a scoping review. International Journal of Audiology, ;60(3), 171-182.