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Tinnitus can cause sufferers ongoing torment

T innitus is the term used for sounds coming from inside your head rather than outside in the environment. Sounds bad It’s not just ringing in the ears but includes a range of other maddening noises: l Buzzing l Humming l Whooshing l Hissing l Grinding Check out how frustrating tinnitus sounds with the British Tinnitus Association on takeon tinnitus.co.uk Is it serious? Many of us have experienced noises in the head after listening to loud music, which goes away on its own. But more persistent tinnitus affects 6 million people in the UK. For 600,000, it’s an ongoing torment that makes it difficult to concentrate or sleep, and causes depression.

Tinnitus isn’t a disease but it’s always worth seeing your GP, as it could have an underlying cause as simple as ear wax, which is easily treated. Why does it happen? It can also be connected to: l Hearing loss l Ear infection l Stress l Exposure to loud noise Around one in every three sufferers don’t have any obvious problem with their ears or hearing. Can you fix it? TRT (tinnitus retraining therapy): Helps your brain tune out the noise so you become less aware of it. Sound therapy: Listening to sounds to distract you from the tinnitus. Sometimes the radio will do the trick or listening to natural sounds like waves. CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy): Changes how you feel about tinnitus The less you worry about the noise the less irritating it becomes. Yoga: Helps you relax and reduce stress.