Surviving the Noise

The holidays are already upon us. Just over one year ago I was diagnosed with Tinnitus and hyperacusis. For those of you who do not know what that is, it's when you hear constant noise in your ear(s). It really has something to do with the brain and how it processes sound. Some people hear a heartbeat, some hear a high pitched sound and for some it's a chirping noise. Mine is a constant high pitched sound with a periodic static noise. A lot of people have intermittent Tinnitus. They are the luckier ones. That means their noise comes and goes. If you are like me, the noise is constant. Now that I am used to it there are some days where I don't even notice it. Those are the days I keep busy. Once in a while for a split second I think to myself, "Oh my gosh, it's gone"! Reality is that it is not. I just forgot about it for a bit. There are also days that it just rings lower. Those days are a blessing.

I am writing this in December which means the holidays are here. You may be feeling some depression or anxiety for a variety of reasons. You might be invited to a holiday party or a family function but you are unsure if you can make it through the party without your Tinnitus going wild. The answer is, yes you can. My first year I was definitely paranoid about going places. My hyperacusis caused things to echo in my brain. I was miserable but I didn't want to always sit things out. I bought earplugs (Loop Experience) and learned calming strategies so I could go out and be social. Let me be honest though, movie theaters and concerts are out for me. I did go to a few concerts in the park, which was fine because it was outdoors and I sat far away from the speakers. You just have to learn what you can tolerate. There is no reason you can't go to the holiday parties, you just have to make accommodations for yourself.

A lot of people ask me how I deal with Tinnitus. Let's keep it completely real. I pride myself in looking on the positive side of things. However, for the first six months having Tinnitus I cried off and on and succumbed to feeling depressed. Then one day I just got up and forgot about it. I made sure I kept myself busy. The more I was out talking to people the more I was able to forget about the annoying ring in my head. The more I was out talking to people, the more I forgot about the ring. I learned that I just had to keep busy. If you are working it really helps to keep you busy. If you aren't, then you need to do things that get you out of the house and engage your brain in something other than thinking about your Tinnitus.

People also ask me about medications for Tinnitus. I did what everyone does in the beginning and I tried the prednisone. I also took antibiotics on the off chance it was caused from Covid but of course, like mostly everyone I talk to it didn't help. The prednisone made me crazy and anxious. I vowed to never take that again and suprisingly my doctor noted my chart to not ever give it to me again. She saw how my anxiety increased. I decided to go with natural remedies. I started taking turmeric-curcumin supplements in the morning. Turmeric is really good for inflammation. At night I drink a calming tea or Golden milk which has turmeric in it. Then just before I go to bed I take 1,000 mgs of magnesium glycinate. My favorite one is in a gummy form. Easy to chew and swallow. I swear it puts me to sleep within 30 minutes.

For this holiday season you can try the following to help you survive the holiday noise:

- Know what type of environment you are going to walk into

- Buy some comfortable earplugs to wear when the noise is loud

- Stay away from louder environments like movie theaters and concerts

- Learn how to do box breathing 4 breaths in, hold for 4, breathe out for 4

- Take Turmeric supplements

- Take magnesium glycinate for sleep

- Decrease your intake of sugar, caffeine and alcohol. These all increase the ring. It makes sense since more research indicates tinnitus is associated with inflammation.

- Be honest with people and let them know you have tinnitus. Explain what it is. Ask them to talk towards your better ear. Don't be afraid to ask them to speak quieter.

- Surround yourself with positivity and people who make you feel happiness. Stress and chaos contribute to bringing on tinnitus. Try to keep it to a minimum. I actually learned how to meditate by learning Vinpassana meditation. I love it. You can find beginner videos on YouTube.

So this holiday season, don't be sad. Allow yourself to enjoy the holiday and festivities. Allow yourself to be part of the fun. Learn your limits, know what accommodations you need and never give up. Eventually, you just lean to accept it as background noise. Stand in faith. Hopefully one day there will be a cure. Let's keep praying on that.

Happy holidays everyone. Enjoy!

Written by: Sue McGaughey