Do you feel like your tinnitus is getting worse and you don’t know why? You might be making one of these seven common mistakes that increase the ringing, buzzing, or other noises in your ears. Some of these habits may seem harmless, but they can actually make tinnitus louder and harder to manage. Let’s go through them—and more importantly, what you can do to get relief.
1. Poor Sleep
Lack of sleep or poor sleep quality can make any bad situation worse, and it can also make tinnitus symptoms feel more intense. When you’re sleep-deprived, your nervous system becomes more reactive to stress and sensory input, including the ringing in your ears. This is often a vicious cycle for people with tinnitus symptoms. Studies also show that obstructive sleep apnea, which can cause loud snoring and increased sleep disturbances, is more prevalent in people with chronic tinnitus.
"As a recent graduate who’s achieved stage four habituation, I cannot thank Treble Health enough for getting me to the finish line."
"As a recent graduate who’s achieved stage four habituation, I cannot thank Treble Health enough for getting me to the finish line."
– Louis
Book a free consultation to learn which Treble Health solution is right for you. Join Louis and thousands more who have found lasting tinnitus relief.
Sticking to a consistent sleep schedule and giving yourself at least 8 hours of sleep per night can do wonders for sleep quality. People with tinnitus and sleep issues can also reduce screen time before bed to help with falling and staying asleep sooner. Using background noise like a fan or white noise machine can also help to improve sleep and reduce tinnitus perception.
2. Too Much Stress
Stress is one of the biggest tinnitus triggers. When you’re anxious, your body releases stress hormones like cortisol, a hormone produced by the adrenal glands, which is also responsible for regulating our sleep-wake cycle and blood pressure. Between 28%–45% of patients with chronic tinnitus also have some clinically relevant symptoms of anxiety. Researchers have observed that the connection between tinnitus and stress is even deeper than previously thought, with many presenting psychological symptoms before the onset of tinnitus. Sometimes stress develops into a chronic condition.
Since stress can make tinnitus sounds louder, the solution lies in reducing stress. Learning to manage stress through deep breathing, meditation, or regular walks outside can help calm your nervous system and make tinnitus less intrusive. Even just five minutes of relaxation can make a difference in a busy life.
3. Too Much Silence
If phantom sounds are the problem, then it might seem counterintuitive to add more sound to a noisy brain. However, complete silence can make tinnitus seem louder because your brain has nothing else to focus on. Imagine a candle in a dark room—it stands out. But if you add more light sources, it blends in. The same applies to tinnitus. Adding background noise, like soft music or nature sounds, helps reduce your brain’s focus on the ringing and makes it less noticeable over time. This is a form of sound enrichment, or sound therapy.
Sound enrichment is useful for tinnitus patients who deal with sleepless nights because of their tinnitus. The sound not only masks the internal phantom noises, but also calms the mind and body to help it reach a restful state more easily.
4. Staying Home Too Much
Living with tinnitus isn’t exactly easy, and can make socializing with friends and family awkward and uncomfortable. Avoiding these situations isn’t the answer. Choosing to stay home because of tinnitus can lead to more stress and feelings of despair, which can, in turn, make tinnitus worse. This is especially true for people who already have an existing mental health condition and may not have access to the coping strategies they need.
Staying active and engaged with others can help to rewire your brain to ignore tinnitus. You may consider joining a tinnitus support group if those around you don’t understand what you’re going through. Research has shown that this can be a positive activity for many people, providing them with opportunities to connect with others who have had similar experiences and learn new coping strategies. Even if you don’t feel like going out to social events, join a local exercise or hobby group to find others who can hold you accountable and work towards a common goal. Finding new activities can shift your focus away from the ringing and towards anything else that interests you.
5. Focusing Too Much on Tinnitus
Constantly checking in on your tinnitus—like going into a quiet room just to listen to it—trains your brain to notice it more. It may sound difficult since you may feel like you have no control over the sounds, but many patients with chronic tinnitus eventually learn to ignore or live alongside their tinnitus. Not doing anything about the tinnitus symptoms and expecting them to change is allowing tinnitus to take over your life, resulting in you focusing on the ringing in the ears more than you should.
Instead, try sound therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) techniques to help shift your attention. At Treble Health, we’ve seen 85% of patients significantly reduce their tinnitus within six months by combining these methods in a treatment known as Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT).
6. Doom Scrolling Tinnitus Forums
Doom Scrolling is where a person scrolls for hours at a time, often searching for negative news or social media content. It’s natural to want answers, but spending too much time in tinnitus forums can backfire, especially for those who are particularly vulnerable or prone to high levels of stress. Many online communities focus on worst-case scenarios, making you feel like tinnitus is permanent and unmanageable. Internet trolls also like to make a bad situation feel worse, and can heighten feelings of stress and anxiety over pretty much anything. We already know that increased cortisol levels can increase tinnitus intensity and perception. Doom Scrolling can also increase the emotional effects of tinnitus, and make it harder to sleep.
Instead of doom scrolling, seek advice from experts who specialize in clinically proven treatments that can actually help reduce your symptoms, such as the experts at Treble Health. If you have problems controlling your social media use, consider setting time limits for screen time. The notification saying your time is up should be enough to deter you from further use. If that doesn’t work, delete the apps for your mental well-being.
7. Exposure to Loud Noise
Noise is one of the most common causes of tinnitus, and symptoms can develop immediately after exposure to loud sounds like fireworks or a gunshot. In many cases, the tinnitus symptoms go away, but in others, they can last for more than 3 months. Loud sounds—like concerts, power tools, or motorcycles—can make tinnitus worse. This happens when the inner ear cells are damaged or destroyed, which can lead to hearing loss and hyperacusis. Hyperacusis is a condition where everyday sounds are perceived as much louder or more intense than they actually are.
If you’re frequently around loud environments, protect your ears with earplugs and avoid standing too close to speakers. Any noise above 85 decibels can be harmful if you listen to it for an unsafe period of time, so being mindful of sound exposure is key to preventing further hearing damage.
How to Take Control of Your Tinnitus
If your tinnitus has been getting worse, addressing these habits using the 7 methods listed above can be life-changing. Chronic tinnitus isn’t a life sentence. With the right treatment, things can get better. Controlling your tinnitus might mean making certain changes to your life, and seeking specialized treatment such as:
- Sound Therapy– On its own, sound therapy does a good job at masking tinnitus sounds and can help to promote habituation. Some common sounds include white noise, nature noises, music, and other calming and engaging sounds. Sound therapy is more effective when combined with CBT.
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)-CBT is a type of psychotherapy that helps individuals with negative thoughts and reactions. Tinnitus qualifies as a life stressor, and comes with several psychological symptoms that studies suggest may be addressed through CBT.
- Hearing aids– Hearing aids are usually used to treat hearing loss by amplifying external sounds. Treating any hearing loss can help with tinnitus symptoms. Some hearing aids even come with tinnitus masking features to deliver sound therapy while addressing the hearing loss.
- Medication– There’s no medication for tinnitus itself, but you can manage its symptoms with things like sleep aids, anti-anxiety medications, and antidepressants. Some medications are known to cause tinnitus symptoms, so it’s worth going over your list of medications with your doctor to see if any worsen tinnitus.
- Dietary and Lifestyle changes– Eating a well-balanced diet, staying active, and avoiding vices such as smoking and drinking are good ways to ensure overall physical and mental well-being. This can help to keep tinnitus and other symptoms at bay.
For additional support, Treble Health offers personalized tinnitus consultations and clinically proven treatments that can make a difference in your noisy world. If you’re unsure what’s right for you, take our free online tinnitus quiz at TinnitusQuiz.com to get expert recommendations tailored to your symptoms. Tinnitus doesn’t have to control your life. Start making small changes today, and you may see a big difference in how much it affects you.
Manage Tinnitus with the Treble Health Team
Who says tinnitus has to come between you and the life you want to live? Chronic tinnitus can be tough to handle, but with the right help, you can manage even the most troublesome tinnitus symptoms. You don’t have to go through it alone. We offer personalized support for individuals struggling with tinnitus, with comprehensive treatment plans to match.
Hundreds of patients like you start their tinnitus management journey with a FREE tinnitus consultation. Expert audiologists at Treble Health are waiting to talk to you about the ringing or buzzing in your ears. Discover treatment solutions and finally find the relief you’ve been searching for in just 20 minutes.
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- 75% of patients reduced their tinnitus within three months after following our recommendations.
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