Water can help to reset the body's central nervous system. Whenever the mind is experiencing a tinnitus spike, you can reset the body by taking a very hot or a very cold shower—or even doing something as small as dipping your feet into a bucket of hot and cold water.
If tinnitus is especially noticeable in quiet settings, try using a white noise machine to mask the noise from tinnitus. If you don't have a white noise machine, a fan, soft music or low-volume radio static also may help. Limit alcohol, caffeine and nicotine.
It's not unusual for existing tinnitus to worsen or escalate in cold weather, even if the weather itself isn't to blame. Cold and flu infections, added pressure on the ear, and increased rates of depression are all common occurrences during the winter months, and all can contribute to tinnitus symptoms.
It has also been established that increasing or decreasing dehydration in the inner ear can increase tinnitus perception or decrease tinnitus perception.
While it has no clear cure or cause, it affects millions of people in the world on some level and can be challenging to cope with. Thankfully, it's entirely possible to live a normal life even with tinnitus.
Sound Therapy
If one has something in their environment that sounds like their tinnitus, the brain has a source to attribute to the sound and is able to become more relaxed. There are many ways to implement sound therapy. Common at-home methods can include turning a fan on, listening to music or the tv.
Yoga and meditation. Yoga exercises can very helpful when suffering from tinnitus. In fact, yoga and meditation can help reduce the tress, anxiety and irritability often related to this condition.
Red wine, grain-based spirits such as rum and beer, cider, sherry and brandy all contain high to very high levels of salicylates. Beverages that contain caffeine such as coffee, tea, hot chocolate and energy drinks also exacerbate tinnitus, according to American Tinnitus Association.
Bromelain – Tinnitus can have adverse effects on the body, which can lead to inflammation. However, bromelain, which is found in pineapple, can help reduce inflammation in the body, thus lessening the effects of tinnitus.
Traffic, loud music, construction – all of these can worsen tinnitus. Be sure to wear earplugs or another type of ear protection in order to prevent noise from making your tinnitus worse. Many medications are ototoxic, meaning they cause temporary (or, in some cases, permanent) damage to your hearing.
Sleep and stress
And, when stress levels go up tinnitus can seem louder. If you have not slept properly one night you might experience higher stress levels, and your tinnitus might seem louder than on a normal day. Not only that but sleeping properly also helps with our ability to handle stress.
Foods that can Aggravate Tinnitus
Phenols – a class of chemical compounds found naturally in a lot of foods including licorice, raisins, honey, raspberries, apricots, oranges, almonds, cashews, olives, peas, beans, and tomatoes.
Conditions that affect your blood vessels — such as atherosclerosis, high blood pressure, or kinked or malformed blood vessels — can cause blood to move through your veins and arteries with more force. These blood flow changes can cause tinnitus or make tinnitus more noticeable.
As many as half a million Australians are suffering from constant tinnitus, with farmers, automotive workers, transport drivers, construction workers and other trades people at the greatest risk, a national survey as part of Curtin-led research has found.
Certain fruits are found to be particularly helpful when it comes to relieving tinnitus, especially foods that are rich in potassium. These include bananas, pears, and tropical fruits such as pineapples, papayas, and mangoes. These foods help lower the blood pressure and encourage proper blood circulation to the ears.
And studies show that using xylitol gum reduces ear infections, sinus infections, and dementia. Having said that, some people find that chewing gum makes their tinnitus worse, so pay attention to what your body tells you, and react accordingly.
Dairy and caffeinated coffee intake was associated with reduced odds of persistent tinnitus (McCormack et al.
Many hearing experts would advise people dealing with tinnitus to stay away or at least cut back on salty foods like frozen meats and TV dinners. This is because regular table salt, also known as sodium chloride, reduces blood flow by restricting the blood vessels in your ears.
Caffeine (often found in coffee, tea, soda, energy drinks and supplements) can raise blood pressure which can trigger tinnitus. If you have tinnitus and consume caffeine, cut back on it to see if your tinnitus symptoms decrease.
Research suggests sound therapy can effectively suppress tinnitus in some people. Two common types of sound therapy are masking and habituation. Masking. This exposes a person to background noise, like white noise, nature sounds, or ambient sounds, to mask tinnitus noise or distract attention away from it.
When you have tinnitus, you can often experience neck tension as well. This tension starts in your neck (also called the cervical spine) and can affect the function of your cranial nerves, triggering ear ringing. There are many causes of cervical tinnitus; the most common are: Cold snaps resulting in a stiff neck.
There is no cure for the condition, but treatment focuses on managing the symptoms and treating the underlying condition.