When your doctor diagnoses you with tinnitus, they will initially have you try one or more non-invasive ways to cope with the ringing in your ears. These techniques are focused on getting your mind to ignore the sounds so you can have a normal day. If these give you enough relief, you'll avoid complicated surgery indefinitely. Here are a few of the ways that you may be able to deal with the tinnitus so it doesn't affect your quality of life.

Devices that Prevent or Mask the Sound

Tinnitus can sometimes be triggered by other sounds. A few devices mask those triggering sounds so the tinnitus never starts. If you have the type of ringing in your ears that never goes away, other devices make it hard for your brain to distinguish between the ringing and other sounds.

White Noise Generation - The simplest devices can be found at a local department store. These are often small units that sit on your desk or bedside table. They produce soft sounds, such as rain falling or the wind blowing through the trees. This white noise covers up other sounds in the environment that may trigger a tinnitus episode. You may find such devices helpful when going to sleep at night or while concentrating on a project at work or home.

Noise Masking - These devices work by creating sounds that blend in with the ringing in your ears. This makes it harder for your brain to focus on the ringing and eventually it will ignore both sounds. These are worn like hearing aids and can be used continually throughout the day or just when the tinnitus is particularly distracting.

Retraining the Mind - Another device that is worn like a hearing aid generates musical tones at the same frequency as the ringing. This also makes it harder for your brain to pick out the ringing and it will often ignore all of the tones.

Techniques that Teach You to Cope with the Sound

In addition to these devices, your doctor may have you work with specialists to learn how to redirect your mind away from focusing on the ringing sound.

Meditation - A form of meditation, called mindfulness meditation, gives you the ability to detach your awareness from the ringing so it doesn't disturb your day. When in this detached state of mind, you can choose how the brain reacts to the ringing so the noise doesn't distract you from your daily activities.

Biofeedback - This technique teaches you how to control your blood pressure, heart rate, breathing and other responses to the ringing. You are connected to a device that monitors those functions and gives you feedback as you consciously try to control them. Once you are able to control how your body reacts to the tinnitus, you will no longer need the monitoring and feedback device.

For more information, contact professionals like Jacobs Clinical Diagnostics.

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