Tinnitus hypnosis to reduce symptoms

Tinnitus is a common complaint, estimated to affect nearly 1 in 10 people. Unfortunately, there is still very little that can be done about it. This is also one of the reasons why the rules for noise in the hospitality industry are becoming stricter. Because prevention is better than cure, especially when something is difficult to cure. Fortunately, sometimes tinnitus does go away, but in some cases it can take months and if you're unlucky it never goes away. To better deal with tinnitus, I discuss tinnitus and hypnosis in this article.

Tinnitus sounds

Tinnitus is also often called tinnitus, but that name is not right for everyone. The sounds people may hear when you suffer from tinnitus range from ringing, to a wheezing sound. Sometimes it seems like you are standing next to a jet engine or a humming V8 engine all the time.

How loud the sound you hear is also different for everyone. With some people it is more present in the background and only bothers you when you are in a quiet room. With other people, the sound dominates everything and you may have difficulty having normal conversations, listening to music or enjoying a nice movie because of the tinnitus.

Tinnitus occurs in people of all ages. Especially after attending a concert or disco. It is often associated with hearing loss, but tinnitus does not always have to cause hearing loss. In some cases, people actually become more sensitive to sound.

The sound may correspond to your heartbeat. As a result, it can bother you even more during a stressful moment because your heart rate increases.

Tinnitus causes

Tinnitus is usually caused by exposure to too loud sound, but can also be caused by bacteria and infections that cause blockages in the Eustachian tube.

For example, a buildup of earwax can cause a blockage that leads to tinnitus. Certain medications can also cause tinnitus, such as aspirin, some types of antibiotics, sedatives, anti-inflammatory drugs, and some antidepressants.

High blood pressure, allergies and diabetes can also cause tinnitus.

Therefore, always see a doctor first to see if the tinnitus is not from too loud sound, but from an infection or other condition that can be treated.

Unfortunately, in many cases, tinnitus persists after medical intervention has been done to help you get rid of tinnitus. Therefore, many treatments exist to reduce tinnitus.

Tinnitus and alcohol

Often, your behavior is also examined to help reduce tinnitus. For example, drinking alcoholic beverages can worsen your tinnitus, and smoking and drinking caffeinated beverages (including coffee) can also make tinnitus worse.

A 1999 study found that 84% of people, that's more than 8 out of 10 people, who drink alcohol while having tinnitus suffer more afterward. As many as 73%, that's more than 7 out of 10 people, suddenly became more aware of the tinnitus, and nearly half of the people (47%) had more trouble falling asleep as a result of drinking alcohol because the tinnitus was either worse or they were more aware of it. They were also more likely to suffer from tinnitus the day after consuming alcohol than if they did not drink alcohol.

This may be due to the blood pressure raising properties of alcohol and the other beverages mentioned.

Tinnitus stress

Stress is also an emotion that raises your blood pressure and can make tinnitus worse. So, on the one hand, stress can be seen as a cause of tinnitus, but on the other hand, tinnitus can also cause stress. I’ll first discuss how stress can cause tinnitus, and then I’ll discuss how tinnitus can cause stress.

A study showing that stress can be a cause of tinnitus examines the link between post-traumatic stress and tinnitus. For example, people with post-traumatic stress may experience tinnitus when they hear a sound that reminds them of the traumatic event.

When people have tinnitus and PTSD, stress moments affect how loud the tinnitus is for them at that moment.

In addition, tinnitus can also cause stress. Tinnitus is irritating and does not help your ability to concentrate. As a result, you may fall behind at work, which can lead to additional stress.

In addition, you may also be frightened by the idea that tinnitus will never go away. For example, euthanasia requests are sometimes made by people who suffer from tinnitus, but then it is very extreme. The long-term stress you can get from tinnitus can also make you depressed.

Tinnitus also seems to affect how the brain handles cortisol and other stress hormones. A study comparing brain cortisol release between healthy people and people with tinnitus found that they produced less cortisol after 30 minutes of exercise than healthy people. This, according to the researchers, was similar to other diseases related to disrupted ways of coping with stress.

Tinnitus therapy

There are various therapies to help people cope better with tinnitus, thereby reducing symptoms. This topic is now also receiving increasing scientific attention. A pilot study shows that mindfulness holds promise for reducing stress-related tinnitus. Participants’ perception of the tinnitus improved, meaning they heard it less.

Indirect symptoms such as depression and tinnitus anxiety were also measured and those symptoms were reduced by mindfulness.

In this study, participants underwent an 8-week program. They received mindfulness in a group setting and also had to meditate and apply mindfulness at home. So after 8 weeks, symptoms were already reduced and overall well-being had improved.

Hypnosis is often used in conjunction with other therapies, such as mindfulness, to enhance its effect.

Tinnitus hypnosis

Precisely because tinnitus has such a strong relationship with stress and healthy behaviors, hypnosis is a great tool to better manage stress and break unhealthy rituals.

Studies on the effect of hypnosis on tinnitus have been conducted since the 1940s. More recent studies (2007) also show that hypnotherapy can enhance relaxation and reduce anxiety. In addition, there is evidence that hypnosis can alter neuroactivity.

This is good news in that people with tinnitus have different neuroactivity when exposed to stress than healthy people. So there is evidence that hypnosis can possibly correct this.

For example, hypnosis helps significantly reduce depression, anxiety, and insomnia caused by tinnitus. Through hypnosis, you’ll feel happier, more confident, and sleep better despite the tinnitus.

In addition, hypnotherapy can reinforce other therapies, such as cognitive behavioral therapy. This encourages patients to apply what they have learned during therapy in everyday life. For example, you are given techniques to deal with stress in order to suffer less from tinnitus or techniques you can apply when the tinnitus drives you absolutely crazy.

You get those techniques during therapy, but applying them is something you have to do without the therapist present. Hypnosis lowers the barrier to using the techniques to cope with tinnitus, and so by using those techniques, you will be less affected by the tinnitus faster than if you don't apply them.

An example is breaking unhealthy rituals. First, together with the hypnotherapist, you determine what unhealthy ritual you have that can amplify your tinnitus, such as drinking too much coffee. Drinking coffee involves a ritual. By changing this ritual and substituting coffee for tea or water, you increase your chances of having less tinnitus.

Self-hypnosis also gives you a greater sense of control over when you want relaxation and on the tinnitus level or annoyance with the tinnitus.

For example, self-hypnosis can be used to relax, which lowers blood pressure. During self-hypnosis, you can use suggestions that change your beliefs about tinnitus. For example, the belief that it cannot be lived with can be changed to a belief that it can be lived with.

A negative mindset is also something you can get from tinnitus. With hypnosis and self-hypnosis, you can ensure that you are back to a positive outlook on life.

In the process, hypnosis really has no downsides. You can't get stuck in it, because you are actually in a state of relaxation going through certain exercises that affect the subconscious. So, especially with hypnosis, the rule often applies that if it doesn't help, it doesn't hurt.

Helping people with tinnitus

Would you like to learn more about (self-)hypnosis and how you can use it to help yourself and others? Be sure to check out the courses and events offered by the Hypnosis Institute of the Netherlands.

Sources:

http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/understanding-tinnitus-basics

http://europepmc.org/abstract/med/10225155

http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12671-012-0184-4

http://aja.pubs.asha.org/article.aspx?articleid=1757482

http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/aaa/jaaa/2014/00000025/00000001/art00007

http://www.zjrms.ir/browse.php?a_id=1717&sid=1&slc_lang=fa