The Role of Habituation in Coping with Tinnitus

Tinnitus can be distressing and uncomfortable. The hardest time is when it first becomes noticeable. If you're like me, you've read ear ringing can be linked to several medications, a concussion, low blood pressure...the list of online learning goes on and on. It makes sense when you first hear the annoying hissing, that you would talk to your doctor about it. 

Chance are, though, the doctor will give you routine responses. Mine told me it was from attending rock concerts when I was young. What a presumption! I may have attended a total of one. 

I didn't feel it was in my ears. I went and had hearing tests which proved my hearing was perfect. I since learned tinnitus is of unknown causes. It is more than likely the brain picking up phantom sounds. My question is, from where? From what body part?

 

A FlareUp 

I remember walking through the university campus, drink in hand, with my son after we had cleaned out his student apartment. As we walked, I took a sip of my cold drink and, suddenly, a deafening noise erupted inside my head--tinnitus. 

I'd been curious about tinnitus affecting me off and on before that day. Now, I wondered if it was related to my vagus nerve. Drinking the cold beverage seemed to trigger it to become very loud and distressing. 

Well, after that event, there were many more horrible events where I even wondered if suicide would be better. I just wanted the noise to stop.And I fell into anxiety. I was diagnosed with General Anxiety Disorder after feeling like I was losing my mind. 

The problem with tinnitus is we have no control over it--no way to stop it. And we don't like not being in control. 

Habituation Eventually 

No matter what I did, I could not find help. But as days and months and years went on, I had days I barely noticed it. I learned that is referred to as habituation. 

Habituation in the context of tinnitus refers to the process by which we adapt to it over time leading to a reduction in the perception of its severity or impact.

Can you let yourself wait for habituation to occur?

Through habituation, individuals with tinnitus may gradually become less distressed by the sound and learn to cope with it more effectively. For me, it happens when I'm distracted by other things. Tuning in to see if it is there is never good. But tuning it out is even harder. Habituation, in my opinion, can't be forced. It just has to happen on its own as you go about daily life.

For you who are reading, I hope for habituation to be frequent and I hope for quiet days as I have now and then too.

Magnesium with L-Taurine for Tinnitus

Do you take Magnesium to help calm your tinnitus? Here is an interesting study to have a look at 

Conclusion: The results suggest that magnesium may have a beneficial effect on perception of tinnitus-related handicap when scored with the THI.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22249877/

Here are a couple of brands of Magnesium I take. Not just one a day, 3-4 in the evening. 

Magnesium Citrate And L-taurine 

Take Heart with your Tinnitus Experience

I am a witness. Tinnitus is designed to drive us mad. But with a few blessings, we can manage it. Today I have almost complete silence!! Praise God. It is possible, so hang in there.

It is a brain disorder where the brain picks up phantom sounds. After lots of study on my part and by scientists, no one really knows the cause. 

Don't believe everything you read online. So many push it is hearing related. I'm sure there may be some forms related to hearing disorders but not mine. 

The last two times this week that I have had mostly silence I had slept as long as I wanted. Mostly uninterrupted sleep. But sleeping doesn't always fix it for me.

I daily take Lexapro to keep anxiety at bay. My dentist said reduce anxiety and you'll reduce teeth grinding while you sleep. Plus, in 2018 I had panic attacks over the loud tinnitus. I needed help. I was prescribed Lexapro. And this spring, I needed it for depression. So Lexapro it is for me. 

I also keep praying for God to heal the disorder not just for myself, but for all who suffer with it. 

Of course, when it is present, habituation is the answer. For me, habituation is what some people call 'ignoring' the noise. But at times it is annoying and hard to ignore. We can't force habituation. But when we find ourselves going about our day not tuning into the tinnitus, we have been successfully habituated.  

So I wanted to pop in and write this because I know at its peak we read all kinds of stuff that says it will not go away. All I craved at that time was for quiet to return. And lately, that has been happening. Take heart with your tinnitus experience. 

I have Quiet A Lot Lately

January 15, 2023 

Guess what? I have a quiet head a lot lately. Tinnitus not there. I thank God. By a lot I mean every second day it seems to be calming.

I came here to share that because so many are looking for hope. I know I was when my tinnitus peaked in 2017!  It drove me to anxiety attacks. 

So what has caused this latest quiet? I will not mislead you to think I know. God obviously is orchestrating it. 

I AM allowing myself lots of sleep and I get deep sleep just before waking up with quiet. Are you getting deep sleep? Long hours of sleep? Maybe even naps? 

I know in the past sometimes I'd lay down with quiet and after a nap it would be back. That is why I cannot tell you for sure it is the sleep that is quieting it. But I do feel sleep is connected. 

I am also doing another parasite purge. Lots of nasty critters being eliminated with a product called Purge Parasite & another called Paraway. This time, I'm purging for three months, plus taking a probiotic. 

I'm also on a new medication for type 2 diabetes. I won't mention it just yet. For sure, if that new medication seems connected, I will share in the future. 

God bless you all. Hang on to hope. Keep praying for God's healing touch. 

Update April 18-19, 2022

 

Reporting in again. April 18 & 19, 2022 I am blessed with quiet again. Yesterday was quiet, today, I hear little rings now and then, but mostly quiet.

Thank the Lord. I can't tell you any miracle cure, only prayer, my protocols, and good sleep. 

Hang on to hope. Tinnitus can calm down for some people some of the time, I'm proof. 

Tinnitus Update April 15, 2022

Update April 15, 2022

I added a post April 9 saying my head was quiet. The tinnitus was gone. It was a blessing. I awoke with it quiet the 8th and again on the 9th. 

The next four days, however, the tinnitus was back--even if I slept later. I tolerated it. I followed my protocols whether they're connected or not.  

Yesterday and today, I have quiet again--almost nonexistent buzz. Probably what it was before mine ever spiked. A little chime but practically nothing. I am thankful. Again, I slept as long as I wanted and awoke with a calm head. 

The type of tinnitus I have is not hearing-related. It is something my brain is picking up. I discuss possible connections in my online Kindle book. 

Tinnitus, God, and You: Walk Through Tinnitus with Faith 

Wishing you all the best on your own tinnitus journey. 

Let Me Encourge you on Your Tinnitus Journey

I am here to encourage you. My head is quiet. 

My tinnitus is nearly non-existent. 

It disappears every few days. 

It does return. 

Sometimes it is louder than it is on other days. But on days like this when it is quiet, I am thankful. 

So if you are in the midst of dealing with new tinnitus, I want to encourage you.

I want to encourage because when I first had it at screaming levels, it brought on general anxiety disorder. I was frustrated to learn there didn't seem to be anything I could do to get rid of it. Worse, idiots TOLD ME that I was stuck with it. Doomsdayers gave me the low-down that I might as well accept it. 

For the most part, I do accept it, but that doesn't mean that I don't look after myself, hope for a cure, and pray it heals.  

WHY IS IT QUIET?

You probably want me to get to the point of the magic cure I'm using. I cannot say there is a magic cure. The biggest factor seems to be related to sleep. I have no clue what is going on while I sleep that is affecting it but today, for example, I awoke at a normal wakeup time for most people, but because I had no job to get to, had the opportunity to sleep more if I chose to. And I did choose to go back to sleep partly because I enjoy sleep once I'm able to and because there was tinnitus at the first waking. I know from experience, that sometimes when I sleep longer, I awake with a quieter head. 

So today I fell back asleep for almost 4 more hours and awoke with a quiet head. I did sleep for around 10 hours. 

WHAT IS MY PROTOCOL?

I take vitamins and supplements like many of you for multiple reasons.  

I take 3 magnesium with taurine supplements before bed. I also take GABA at bedtime if my mind won't stop thinking. 

I sometimes sleep with a humidifier in the bedroom, an air cleaner, and gave a fan running as these help me cope with tinnitus sounds. I keep the room  dark. 

I take a Escitalopram, sold under the brand names Cipralex and Lexapro as a treatment for anxiety & depression.  This was prescribed when tinnitus peaked and threw me into general anxiety disorder.

I also take a multivitamin, Vitamin D and a few other supplements. These supplements I hope reduce inflammation, balance cortisol and help my body deal with stress. It is hard to prove if supplements do anything, so you either take them or you don't. 

The type of tinnitus I have is not hearing-related as far as I'm concerned. It is something my brain is picking up. I discuss possible connections in my online Kindle book. 

Tinnitus, God, and You: Walk Through Tinnitus with Faith