Let’s Talk About White Noise

One of the points that we have raised several times on the site here is the use of sound therapies for tinnitus sufferers. When it comes to tinnitus treatment, there are a variety of ways to go, but in general, the most common and well known method of getting relief is to make use of a technique known as white noise. White noise, in short, is just noise that is fairly low to the point that a person won’t usually notice. Think of how you can get used to a ceiling or a desktop fan and the sound thrown off by the revolutions of the blades, the same vibrations of those blades, as well as the low level of wind from the air displaced. It is cheap and easy to go about for most people, and it is very difficult to cause yourself harm should you decide to implement this tactic in your plan for tinnitus treatment and relief.

The obvious question though, and forgive us if this is a bit redundant, is just how white noise can help those who are currently coping with tinnitus? Tinnitus is a condition that often times has no apparent cause. Other times, there is a very clear cause, but either way, the methods of treatment are a bit different than other, more straightforward conditions. With that said, there are often some universal truths about the condition, though universal may be a touch strong given the subjective nature of the condition.

What are we getting at here? Most with tinnitus report that they have an increase in their symptoms when the environment is completely quiet around them. Absolute silence can be maddening for quite a few people, but the contrast between the noises in one’s ears, and the quiet outside of those ears can be even more maddening.

In these cases, white noise can be implemented a few ways to help lessen this contrast and in the best cases, eliminate the sounds of tinnitus. Of course, this may not do much good for those who are required to interact with others on a regular basis, but for those quiet times at work or especially while sleeping, white noise can be a huge help in realizing some normalcy in life.

How can white noise be implemented other than a ceiling fan? There are a few different ways that this can be had. One is to pick up a white noise machine to play while you work or while you sleep. Another is to pick up some relaxing music and play it on a low level. Nature sounds such as waves on a beach, or wind blowing outside of a window can be a good choice. For that matter, actually opening a window to get the wind blowing through can work even better. Two cheers for the real thing!

What is important to remember when dealing with tinnitus and trying white noise as a form of tinnitus treatment is to understand that often times there will be a need for more than one therapy. Thus the holistic approaches that are mentioned here and elsewhere on sites and publications dealing with tinnitus relief. Of course, we cannot pass up the opportunity to mention Tinnitus Miracle, though there are certainly other plans available as well.

With that said, how may a person who does not wish to go all in on a comprehensive program implement white noise to the best effect? That is really a question for a physician to try and answer, but in general, the idea of combining relaxation techniques such as yoga or meditation together with white noise sounds like a good way to lower the stress level (a potential tinnitus cause), in addition to getting the immediate relief that white noise may be able to offer.

Finding a meaningful tinnitus treatment can be upsetting and frustrating as just one technique is rarely enough to get the job done. With that said, there is a reason that white noise is often the preferred method to put into effect before others. It is effective and it is cheap to use. Of course, and as always, take care to ensure that a physician has ruled out other causes of tinnitus that could be a bit more dangerous should they go unchecked.

If you have tinnitus and have used sound therapies in addition to white noise, could you do us a favor and drop a comment to let us know how things have gone for you?

Til next time.

It really doesn’t need to be said, but getting a realistic plan in place to achieve tinnitus relief is a lot easier said than done.  The constant ringing, buzzing and other sounds may not always grow worse over time, but it can grow more frustrating and distracting.  Imagine having a song playing in your head that you just can’t get out, except replace it with a constant ringing or buzzing.  While a song you heard on the radio could be distracting, it is rare that someone says that they can’t get through normal every day interactions and activities because of it.  But for those with tinnitus, it can get to a point where productivity and personal interactions are hindered to a significant extent by these symptoms.

What can be done then, when the sounds associated with tinnitus grow to be too much?  The first step should obviously be to get an evaluation from your physician to ensure that there are no life threatening or other serious complications that may be underlying causes of your symptoms.  From there, holistic methods of tinnitus treatment such as Thomas Coleman’s Tinnitus Miracle, or more traditional and “Western” approaches may be pursued as well.

The benefits of a traditional approach are fairly obvious in that a physician can present the ideas, and if they work, fine, if not, then you can move along.  The whole process is not quite as straight forward as this, but the process is often guided by someone else, which is nice.

The problem with a traditional approach is that many people feel that more traditional and “Western” approaches tend to address symptoms instead of the root causes of tinnitus and many other problems.  This is a decision that many are going to need to make on their own, but for those who want something that is more of an alternative approach to tinnitus treatment, they would be well served to take a look at Tinnitus Miracle, which is a book for electronic download by Thomas Coleman that also comes with personal coaching to help those who want more of a guided approach.

What makes Tinnitus Miracle effective is that it is not full of hyperbole and grandiose claims about what a simple technique may help you to achieve.  That is not to say that the book is absent of any claims related to a cure or total elimination of tinnitus.  Every product has its selling points, but many do achieve significant tinnitus relief following the methods in the book, whether they achieve total relief or a “cure” is individual to each person’s case.

Inside though, there are a number of holistic remedies that range from sound therapy in the form of white noise and other techniques, nutritional guidelines, hypnosis exercises, and methods for relaxation.  Just about everything that has been mentioned on the subject of tinnitus relief through hypnosis, blood pressure reduction, dietary adjustments and anything else is covered.

The bonuses that include some sleep techniques, as well as an eBook serving as an introductory resource for beginning yoga practitioners make for a well rounded approach to handling tinnitus via alternative means.

And that is really the definition of holistic at this point.  Holistic healing is an approach that encompasses every aspect of a person’s being to boost the health and well being of the person being treated.  This means psychological (relaxation techniques), spiritual (depending on the person, yoga and meditation practice can fit here), physical (sound therapy, nutrition, exercise all fit the bill) and the social may hopefully take care of itself should the other symptoms begin to clear up and tinnitus relief become more pronounced.

Is a holistic approach going to be the method for you to get past your tinnitus?  Nobody can really answer that for you, but many people, whether they are trying to get treat tinnitus or another condition feel better implementing a holistic approach, even if they combine it with more traditional methods of treatment.

For the potential benefits as compared to the costs, it could be worth your time to take a look at Tinnitus Miracle, or at least at another holistic resource for tinnitus relief.

What Makes Tinnitus Retraining Therapy So Interesting?

While cutting edge may be a little bit of a stretch, one of the more promising methods of attaining tinnitus relief is that of a still somewhat new approach called tinnitus retraining therapy.  While there are plenty of ways that people go about getting some relief from their tinnitus, many people have to go through a number of different methods to figure out what may work best for them in their specific case.  Some may do well with only using white noise, while others may need a mixture of relaxation techniques, white noise and other sound therapies, as well as significant changes to their diets.  And still other people may require other medical interventions, including the use of prescription medications for a number of ailments, including hypertension, or even in off label uses.  What makes tinnitus retraining therapy so special then?

To begin with, tinnitus is still a bit of a mystery condition.  Although it is often really a symptom of another condition, or group of conditions, tinnitus also has several methods that are implemented specifically to treat it, rather than or even in addition to the underlying cause.  Tinnitus retraining therapy really does this as well.  Instead of a one off, individual type of approach to the problem, it can be thought of as more of a multi pronged way of dealing with the issues at hand so that a sufferer of tinnitus can get back to his or her life in a productive way with as little interference from the constant ringing and buzzing in the ears that so often never fully goes away.

In a nutshell, it is a combination therapy that depends on “habituation”, where the patient may eventually get to the point that their perception of the noises which characterize tinnitus is lowered or eventually even eliminated in the best cases.  This is done through a combination of counseling as well as low level noise to help the patient get to a point of meaningful reduction, or hopefully full elimination of the sounds unless the patient makes a concerted effort to focus on the sounds.

Before we move along, perhaps we should quickly go over what habituation means.  According to just about any definition in a dictionary, in this context habituation means to reduce a psychological or behavioral response when a particular stimulus is introduced on a repeated basis.  In the case of tinnitus, low level sound, and perhaps even some other triggers may be introduced to help the patient eventually move towards a point of being where their symptoms aren’t as readily perceived by the patient.

This process begins with counseling of the patient in order to educate them on how their auditory system works, as well as to help them understand the basis of the therapy.

In essence, while many people will avoid certain triggers and try and minimize their tinnitus, in the case of tinnitus retraining therapy, the symptoms are faced head on with the goal of eventually working past their perception.  A great example made on page 4 of this PDF on tinnitus retraining therapy is that we are constantly habituating to sounds every day.  With enough time, we no longer hear the whirring in the background of a computer or even our refrigerators that even these days still may have rather noisy motors powering them.

When it comes time to use some sound therapy as part of the habituation process, there are a couple of different methods that may be put into effect.  For those with lower level symptoms and no serious hearing loss as a result of tinnitus, they may be given portable sound machines, or even basic machines similar to a white noise generator to help them shift their perception of tinnitus to a more favorable place.  Others who are experiencing more severe symptoms that may be causing some loss of hearing may require special hearing aids, or even a combination of a sound generator as well as a hearing aid.

The earliest information we could find on the protocols involved in implementing tinnitus retraining therapy were vague at best.  Surely, the information and the possibilities are improved as of the date of this writing, but at least a couple of years ago the only way to learn how to implement tinnitus retraining therapy was to attend a training through Dr. Jastebroff, the originator of the treatment and Dr. Jonathan Hazell.  Again though, it is unclear from what we could find on the subject what the protocols for implementation may be.  The process of becoming certified or credentialed for tinnitus retraining therapy may very well be much different today.

Is tinnitus retraining therapy going to be right for you or someone you know who is dealing with tinnitus?  That is a question that nobody can really answer, but for those who have been struggling for some time now, it may be something to explore with the help of a physician.

Hopefully this post served as a decent introduction to the topic at hand, and should you spot any discrepancies in the article, or have a comment to add value to the post, please leave it below so we can address any issues as well as ensure that the content on the site is of a high value for our readers.

As well, remember that the information here is not meant as advice, but is merely information that is readily available in a number of different forms of media.  Thanks for reading this post on tinnitus retraining therapy and please be sure to hit the like button if you feel this has value.

Tinnitus Symptoms

To be clear, even though we are referring to the symptoms described in this post as tinnitus symptoms in reality, tinnitus is really a symptom of something else entirely.  At least, it usually is.  On occasion, there may be noise in the head that has no source that can be identified.  Often though, this is not the case, as many tinnitus causes have been identified, from high blood pressure, to stress, to head and neck injuries.  Regardless though, this needed to be addressed before we went on any longer.  It wouldn’t be very responsible to mention tinnitus symptoms over and over again without at least acknowledging the point here as we would guess that many of our readers would be well aware of the difference.

With that said, it is difficult to discuss tinnitus symptoms without actually discussing the causes as well, but we will try and at least cover a short discussion of the symptoms, touch on severity, and get a quick mention as to the discrepancies that may be reported from person to person in terms of the types of symptoms experienced.  Does that mean that certain symptoms of tinnitus are associated only with certain causes of tinnitus?  No, at least not that we are aware of.  Some people who have tinnitus that is not associated with any other apparent cause may notice that their symptoms are just the same, when described and compared, as someone else who has been afflicted with the condition after prolonged and repeated exposure to loud noises through the years.  In short, the symptoms don’t seem to be any different from cause to cause when it comes to tinnitus.  Of course, there may be more severe symptoms for certain situations and causes, but the actual tinnitus symptoms don’t seem to be different.

To get an idea of what we’re talking about, think back to a time when you were at a concert, or had your head phones in for a bit too long with too much volume.  Did you experience a dull ringing?  Some experience more of a whooshing, maybe similar to being stuck in a wind tunnel.  And others may experience more of a buzzing or a whirring, like a blender being turned on.  These are all tinnitus symptoms, but they vary a bit from person to person in terms of the patient experience.

And that is really all there is to it when discussing the symptoms of tinnitus.  Sure, there are going to be people who read this and note that their symptoms are a bit different.  Some hear a persistent clicking, while others hear the aforementioned ringing and buzzing sounds.  Regardless, the condition presents itself in a variety of ways.

What is unfortunate is that quite a few people, some estimates put at around 50 million people in the USA alone, experience tinnitus to some degree.  The good news is that this means that a tinnitus sufferer is not alone and can look to support groups as well as find knowledgeable and supportive doctors and tinnitus treatment options to get the best possible outcome for themselves.

We’ll be back with a more in-depth article in a day or two that can hopefully cover these symptoms, and some more methods of tinnitus relief.  Also, the comments should be open on each post, so please feel free to click the Like button below, and be sure to leave us a comment on what you want to see on the blog.

Apologies for this post being a little bit of a “stream of conscious” event here, but we’ll be back soon with high value content.  At least, we think it will be high value.

Tinnitus Symptoms information can be found here.

Hypnosis as Tinnitus Treatment?

One of the problems with tinnitus, is that while there are a variety of tinnitus causes, some of the time, there is little in the way of a readily identifiable source for the ringing, buzzing, whizzing and whooshing sounds that characterize the condition.  Tinnitus is difficult to comprehend for those who do not have it, and very difficult to deal with for those who do.  On the subject of tinnitus treatment, hypnosis gets a bit of discussion from time to time.  It is a little bit out there in a lot of people’s opinions, but it is worth at least taking a look and getting an idea of whether it may be something to give a try.

Tinnitus treatment traditionally includes relaxation techniques, sound therapies like white noise, occasionally the use of prescription medications (only at a physician’s guidance and supervision), as well as the occasional naturopathic approach to treatment.

However, some of these just won’t work.  Herbs, meditation, white noise and medications all have their place for a lot of people, yet many people still find themselves with a significant degree of symptoms to deal with.  When everything has been tried, and relief has not bee found in any substantial quantity, some will turn towards hypnosis as a form of tinnitus treatment.

Can hypnosis really be effective to treat tinnitus?  The answer really is one that has no answer.  Some people will swear by hypnotherapy, while others just won’t ever commit to the process to the degree required in order to achieve real results.

On the side arguing for hypnotherapy, the thinking goes that since some cases of tinnitus are linked to neurological issues, with no outwardly physical sources, that training the brain to handle these sounds and eventually block them out could be effective.

On the side against using hypnotherapy for tinnitus relief, the thinking tends to be that it is a cavalier way of treating a condition that is far more complex than what you would see on television, where the person being hypnotized is made to cluck like a chicken or hop up and down when the TV turns on.  This, of course, is not true.  Yet, it still is the thought for many people when thinking of hypnosis.

Of course, many don’t even think hypnosis really exists, making the question obsolete.

Should you be considering hypnosis, then you would need to find a legitimate hypnotherapist to assist you. The best way to do this is to either talk to people that you know who have tried hypnotherapy for other situations and conditions or, go to the internet.  Crazy enough, the internet can help you find plenty of resources in just a few seconds, which is probably how many visitors have found this site.

Either way, just go to your favorite search engine, and type in the city you are in + “hypnotherapist” and see what comes up.  If you find several results, community review pages such as Yelp! can be a good way to get reviews and see whether a particular practitioner is worth going to.

Also, considering the vulnerable nature of being in a hypnotic state, it is probably a good idea to see if you can have someone with you to observe.  Just to be safe.

One question that a lot of people have, other than cost, is just how long it is going to take for you to get tinnitus relief from hypnosis.  When it comes to this particular type of a tinnitus treatment, it is just like any other method.  Some may get immediate relief, while others may have to go back several times.  And still, others may get nothing from it.  There is just no answer to suggest that a set number of sessions is going to work.

Also, just to get back to cost for a moment, each therapist is going to have their own rates.  Additionally, it would be somewhat surprising to think that many insurance providers, if any, would cover hypnotherapy.  Finding a cost effective therapist doesn’t necessarily mean cheap, so for anyone who is considering this type of tinnitus treatment, you’ll need to set your own price and time frame.

What is best is for many people to go ahead and set a certain time frame, or number of sessions that they would want to see some improvement.  Also, perhaps consulting with the therapist is a good idea, to ensure that you don’t get stuck in a never ending run of appointments that could run up a significant financial tab.

Hypnosis is a very non traditional type of tinnitus treatment.  It is met with incredible skepticism, and many just won’t buy in to the process.  However, for those with the desire to give it a try, it can be extremely effective.  It all comes down to having an open mind and committing to the process of treatment, as with any other method.

Tinnitus Treatment

The issue of identifying, and then dealing with tinnitus can be extremely daunting.  The main reason is that tinnitus is really a symptoms, or set of symptoms, of some other condition.  Knowing what the common tinnitus causes are may help you to find a meaningful method of tinnitus relief to help you get your life back to where you want it.  After all, tinnitus can wreak havoc with your ability to concentrate as well as carry out regular methods of communication on a day to day basis.  Without further ado, here are several common tinnitus causes.

The first is an obvious one, or at least it is fairly obvious to most people: loud noise.  More specifically, the overexposure to loud noises on a regular basis.  People who are often at a greater risk of developing tinnitus would be musicians who play a large number of loud concerts, as well as mechanics, airline employees and construction workers.  These people are all around loud noises on a regular basis, which may erode the structures within the ear.

The little hairs in the ear and ear canal that are partially responsible for modulating frequency (for lack of a better term) can break down with time and with excessive exposure to loud noises, this may be made worse.  Ear plugs and taking care to avoid loud noises in your life are the only way to keep noise induced tinnitus from being a potential problem with your hearing.

One of the more common, and sometimes random tinnitus causes is that of earwax in the ears creating a blockage.  This blockage can create sounds of tinnitus, as well as a painful ache in the ear.  The good news is that if this happens to be a cause of your condition, seeing your physician to get the wax removed is often successful and relief is often very good, sometimes complete, and often occurs very quickly.

The next on this list of common tinnitus causes is that of a change in the bones within the ear.  This may occur through normal structural changes that take place over time.  There are bones within the ear that are also partially responsible for modulating the frequency of the sounds that you hear every day.  Should these either harden or grow in an odd manner, tinnitus may be a result of this.

This may lead us as well to the possibility of head and neck injuries that could cause the condition as well.  Many believe that tinnitus is merely a neurological problem, which is not really true.  However, in some cases, this is true.  One is when you experience a blow to the head or your neck.  The best way to describe this, or at least try and get people to relate to it is the concept of “having your bell rung”.  Quite a few people who have played sports have had a collision at some point that resulted in a ringing in the ears, as well as a loss of focus.

The ringing in a person’s ears after taking a shot upside their head is the closest that a non-sufferer can probably come to understanding what it is like to have tinnitus.

This leads us to the issues of stress and depression.  On the list of tinnitus cuases, these two are the most likely to result in a vicious cycle.  One day, you are hanging out, doing some work and you realize that you’re having a harder time concentrating, and that you can’t seem to hear as well.  The buzzing and ringing gets in the way, you can’t hear the TV or radio well, and if you’re talking on the phone, this is probably a chore as well.

The result may be that you start to feel a bit down and whatever has got you stressed is made that much worse as your concentration is that much worse.  Unfortunately, on and on the cycle goes until you can get one or the other under control.  And, just like with nearly every condition that people suffer from, nailing the cause is likely to be the way to reduce the symptoms.  The only problem is that people may find themselves in a chicken or egg conundrum.  Aside from the anti-tinnitus benefits, dealing with stress has a number of big benefits, and you’ve got to start somewhere, this may as well be it.

One of these big benefits that we just mentioned, as well as a serious situation if this is your cause of tinnitus is hypertension, more commonly referred to as high blood pressure.

The elevated blood pressure may cause a change in the pressure in the system and the ears, leading to tinnitus.  Now, while tinnitus is serious and a big problem on its own for a lot of people, hypertension is very serious when it comes to your very survival.

On top of tinnitus, hypertension is linked to kidney problems, stroke and a number of other problems.  It is very important, as we have written about on the site already, to see a physician and make sure that you have underlying issues addressed.  This is a good example of why.  Hypertension is not something to be ignored.

This brings us to the final cause of tinnitus for this particular post: side effects of medications.  It is a scary thing to think about the possibility of tinnitus being caused by medications that you need to maintain your health, but it is a possibility.  Again, do not do something on your own to try and tackle your symptoms, but go to your doctor and ask them to take a look at your medications and get their counsel.  Some medications that have been linked as tinnitus causes are aspirin and even some antibiotics.  Surely, there are many others, so if you find yourself at your doctor’s office, make sure you run this by them to get his or her opinion.

Tinnitus really is no joking matter.  It is debilitating for a few, and an annoyance for many.  Understanding the common tinnitus causes allows you to avoid them if possible, as well as to understand treatment options if you are eventually afflicted with the condition.

Tinnitus Causes

What is Tinnitus And Why Is Tinnitus Relief An Important Subject?

Tinnitus is a constant ringing and buzzing within a person’s ears that comes and goes in terms of severity, but may never go away once it has developed. The condition can be extremely difficult for those who are afflicted, making tinnitus relief a serious topic that has been gathering more discussion as of late. The following tips and information will hopefully provide a nice primer on the subject.

The first and most important point to make on this is that you are not on your own when it comes to tinnitus. Too many people are told that there is little that can be done in the way of a tinnitus cure, and thus believe that they are going to be stuck with the symptoms forever, and with no recourse. This is not true though. There are various avenues that can be explored for tinnitus relief, and some are lucky enough to respond to the point that they experience total, or near total, alleviation of their symptoms.

The second very important point is to speak to your physician straight away. Tinnitus is a condition that can be linked to several other conditions. Really, this makes it a symptom, or set of symptoms. Some of the causes could be old age, ear wax, hypertension, or even tumors and nerve damage inside and along the ears.

What this means is that your doctor should really be consulted quickly for two reasons. First is that these conditions deserve attention, and in the worst case scenarios, your health may depend on it. Second is that your doctor may have recommended techniques for tinnitus relief that may not be readily discussed in the easily found online or in other resources.

With that said, some commonly used techniques for tinnitus relief center on relaxation methods. These are good for nearly anyone, but for those with tinnitus, they can be extremely helpful. Aside from the relaxation that is the main point of techniques like yoga, qigong, meditation etc, the side effects may be lowered blood pressure, increased focus, or even an eventual “retraining” of sorts to help relieve the symptoms of tinnitus.

The next really goes back to the point of seeing a doctor and being evaluated: get a list of your medications together and see that tinnitus is not a potential side effect of taking them. Of course, DO NOT STOP taking medications without medical advice and supervision. However, discussing these issues with your doctor may open up other methods and ways to achieve tinnitus relief.

Moving along, is the importance of maintaining a log or a journal to figure out what is making the condition worse. Many will notice that they experience tinnitus after loud events, such as a rock concert. Others may get it when they are under extreme amounts of stress. And still others, most people really, have it to some degree at almost all times. Either way, figure out what triggers it, or makes it worse, so that you can get a better plan together to help with your symptoms.

The final tip for this post here is to make sure that you continue with your own education on the topic. There is research on the topic, and a variety of methods that are being tried out by patients on a regular basis. While some may be useless in offering tinnitus relief for one person, they may be extremely effective for others.

There are a number of other methods for tinnitus treatment that are also very effective in helping to treat tinnitus, such as white noise, some dietary changes, and even a basic exercise program should you be healthy enough. So, be sure to keep researching, and consulting with your doctor, to find a method or a combination of methods that will work for you.

To close out this post, it is important to understand that tinnitus is a condition that can be extremely difficult to deal with. Many people that find success in coping with it are likely to accept this fact, and then make sure that they move on towards methods that can improve the quality of their lives.

Nearly anything is on the table when it comes to dealing with tinnitus. This is within reason, of course. Common sense says that even if one technique doesn’t work, or a number of techniques don’t work, that eventually something will. The key is to keep an open mind, include and consult your physician prior to trying any method, and to keep the necessary mindset for success in place. Tinnitus relief doesn’t have to be an impossible task, but it just may feel like it from time to time.

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Tinnitus Relief