First off, if your ringing isn’t caused by stress, this won’t apply to you.
About a month ago, my stress-induced tinnitus started. It was the most difficult experience I’ve ever had; I truly thought my life was ruined. At one point, I went three days without sleep because I was following the wrong advice. Before I had a complete breakdown, I saw a doctor and started a new regimen. Today, I’m totally fine. Here is how I managed it:
- MEDICAL CONSULTATION. Get tested to see if it’s stress or physical. My check-up included hearing tests (which were perfect) and a brain MRI with contrast. Based on those, my doctors concluded it was likely stress-related.
- Don’t be afraid of using meds to help you rest. My doctor prescribed 0.25mg of Xanax for bedtime. It allowed me to finally sleep and lower my stress levels.
- I quit caffeine entirely. I’m strictly on decaf now.
- I started taking magnesium. I’m not certain if it was the cure, but I made sure to include it.
- Natural remedies. I used Passiflora tea before bed to help me unwind.
- Be mindful of your pillow. Putting pressure on one side of your head can be irritating; try sleeping on your back if possible.
- Stop ‘plugging in’ late at night. I used to stay on screens until 11 PM. Now, I stop at least 90 minutes before bed to read or talk to my partner and just relax.
- Take your lunch breaks. I stopped working through mine and started going to the park to get some sun and rest.
- For me, noise levels didn’t matter. I could spend all day in a loud environment and the tinnitus wouldn’t be any worse the next day.
- Pro-tip: Check for bruxism. Grinding your teeth is a major trigger for stress-related tinnitus. My specialist recommended a mouth guard, and it turns out I grind my teeth a lot. I wear one every night now.
- I initially tried using white noise and maskers to sleep. This was the worst advice I found online and nearly broke me mentally. My doctors told me to face the sound and accept it. If it’s stress-induced, trying to hide from it makes your brain think the sound is a threat that won’t go away. When the masker stops, the stress just spikes.
- Be careful with the internet. I feel for those with permanent conditions, but if yours is stress-induced, reading ‘doom’ stories will only make you worse. You can recover from this. Advice for hearing-loss-related tinnitus is often very bad for stress-related cases.
I’m not sure which specific thing worked, or if it was the combination. But point 11 was definitely making things worse. Please avoid maskers if your issue is stress.
I wish everyone dealing with this nightmare the best. It’s incredibly unfair, but you might be able to find a way out by changing your approach.