Tinnitus Awareness Week takes place February 3rd to 9th in 2025. It exists to raise awareness about the available treatments for tinnitus, its symptoms, and how it impacts lives. Tinnitus is the term used to describe what people experience as ringing, buzzing, or humming in their ears, even though no external sound is present. It can be a symptom of something else, such as hearing loss caused by prolonged exposure to loud noise, an injury, aging, or a problem with the circulatory system. The type of sound and intensity of tinnitus can vary from person to person. For some, these episodes become chronic and can seriously affect their daily lives, causing stress and disruption.
As a sufferer of the condition myself, likely due to attending far too many loud concerts when I was younger, I’ve spent a great deal of time learning to live with my tinnitus so that it doesn’t drive me insane. You might say that I’ve even learned to be friends with it, which is great, as there isn’t really a cure. How did I manage this? I did it with meditation.
How is tinnitus usually treated?
The choice between the various treatments for tinnitus depends on its cause and how much it affects the person.
In some cases, certain medications can either cause tinnitus or worsen it. Some of these are:
- The newer SSRIs ( like Prozac, Zoloft, and Lexapro) that are prescribed as anti-depressants
- Over-the-counter anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) like aspirin, Ibuprofen, and Naproxen can cause tinnitus, and the ringing can be worse at higher doses.
- Quinine, to treat malaria.
A doctor might send the patient to an ear, nose, and throat (ENT) specialist for more tests and care. If no specific cause is found, there are still treatments that can help if the tinnitus is bothersome. Over time, many people adjust to tinnitus as their brain learns to tune it out.
Staying relaxed and avoiding stress is important, as stress can make tinnitus more noticeable. It’s also a good idea to speak with a doctor about medications that might cause tinnitus or worsen the condition. To protect their hearing, people should use earplugs or headphones when around loud noises, such as using equipment like lawnmowers or attending loud events like concerts.
Hearing aids may also help in some cases. Well-fitted, high-quality hearing aids can help reduce or even eliminate tinnitus linked to hearing loss. They make listening easier and remove the extra effort of trying to hear. Hearing aids also help by bringing in more sounds from the surroundings, which can take the mind off the sounds in the ears.
Sound therapy uses external sounds to take your mind off tinnitus. A doctor or hearing specialist can recommend this treatment.
Another option is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), a type of psychological treatment that helps manage the stress caused by tinnitus. Doctors may suggest seeing a psychologist for this approach.
Meditation and mindfulness for tinnitus
While there are only a few studies on meditation for tinnitus, the results have been promising. A 2017 study looked at how two types of therapy, relaxation training, and mindfulness meditation, could help people with chronic tinnitus. The study found that both methods, especially mindfulness meditation, helped reduce the severity of tinnitus, as well as symptoms like depression, anxiety, and how much the condition affected daily life.
It was this study that inspired me to try meditation for my tinnitus. At first, I struggled because it is hard to clear the mind when all you can hear is ringing in the ears. Some suggest to put some white noise on in the background, or to do a voice guided meditation, but my method was a little unorthodox and seemed to work for me…I used the ringing in my ears to focus on while I meditated. It was my white noise. By turning the focus onto the tinnitus and using it to breathe and relax, I found over time that the sound no longer stressed me out. In fact, now, when I want to do a wind-down meditation to sleep, my buddy tinnitus is there to guide me.
How to meditate to reduce tinnitus.
Of course, my method won’t work for everyone. For those new to meditation, it might be surprising to learn there are many types to choose from. Each type has its own benefits, depending on a person’s goals and what works best for them.
- Mindfulness meditation helps people stay aware of the present moment.
- Focused meditation involves concentrating on something specific, like a thought or object (this is one that I use with tinnitus)
- Movement meditation includes activities like yoga, tai chi, or walking to connect the mind and body.
- Spiritual meditation focuses on deepening a person’s connection to their spirituality or beliefs.
- Progressive relaxation helps people relax their bodies body step by step, one part at a time.
An interesting bit of tinnitus history!
Tinnitus has been annoying humans for a long time, even dating back to Ancient Egypt. The Egyptians called it the “bewitched ear” or “humming in the ear” and tried different remedies to treat it. They used a mix of oil, frankincense, herbs, tree sap, and soil, which they applied to the ear with a reed. They also created artwork called “ear stelae,” which showed pictures of ears and worshipers. These were meant to ask their gods to hear their prayers and heal their symptoms.
The Ancient Greco-Romans were the first to treat tinnitus as a symptom rather than a condition. Their approach to treatment depended on what they believed caused the tinnitus. If it came from a cold, they would clean the ear and hold their breath until fluid came out. If it came from the head, they used exercise, rubbing, and gargling to try to fix it. Later, Aristotle and Hippocrates introduced a method called masking, which involved using another sound to cancel out the ringing.
While meditation doesn’t make the tinnitus go away, what it can do is make it much easier to live with. The ringing in my ears is always there, but it no longer really bothers me and is as much a part of everyday background noise as anything else in the world. For those suffering from the condition, I encourage you to give meditation a try this Tinnitus Awareness Week!
FAQs
What are the types of tinnitus?
There are two main types of tinnitus.
Subjective tinnitus: Only the person with tinnitus can hear the sound. This is the most common type.
Objective tinnitus: A doctor can also hear the sound during an exam. This type is less common and can be caused by things like blood flow in a blood vessel near the head or neck or problems with the temporomandibular joint (the joint connecting the jaw to the skull)
What causes tinnitus?
Tinnitus can happen for many reasons, such as hearing loss, too much earwax, being around loud noises, ear infections, or inflammation. It can also be caused by conditions like Ménière’s disease, inner ear issues, tumors, certain medications, or head injuries. In some cases, the exact cause of tinnitus isn’t known.
How is tinnitus diagnosed?
The doctor will talk to the patient about their symptoms and examine their ears. They might also test the patient’s hearing or send them to a hearing specialist for more tests. If needed, the doctor could suggest X-rays or scans based on the patient’s other symptoms.
Can tinnitus be prevented?
Some types, like those caused by certain medications or loud noises, can be avoided. However, not all kinds of tinnitus can be prevented.
