A great article in Healthy Hearing by Glenn Schweitzer about things you can do to help with Tinnitus Spikes.
If you’ve lived with tinnitus for a while, you’ve probably noticed that the sound isn’t always constant. It can fluctuate – wildly at times – and not just in volume, but in sound, intensity or number of sounds. These flare-ups are commonly known as tinnitus spikes.
Out of nowhere, it can suddenly seem much louder. You might hear horrible new noises that weren’t there before, noises you can’t ignore. Even if you’ve habituated and are no longer bothered by your tinnitus, spikes can still make you miserable.
The good news is that with a little bit of work, you can figure out exactly what’s causing your tinnitus to spike and eliminate it to improve your quality of life.
Common tinnitus triggers include:
~ Certain noises
~ Loud sound exposure
~ Stress/anxiety
~ Sleep deprivation
~ Certain medications
~ Supplements and vitamins
~ Dehydration
~ High sodium diet
~ High sugar diet
~ Caffeine
~ Nicotine (all forms)
~ Alcohol
~ Recreational drugs
~ Food sensitivities
~ Allergies
~ Pollution
~ Temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ)
~ Specific changes in the weather or barometric pressure
Discovering your Tinnitus Triggers:
The bigger problem is that there are far too many variables. It makes it hard to keep track of everything in your head.
For example, if your tinnitus spikes in the afternoon because of something you ate for breakfast, you probably won’t automatically spot the connection. But this type of missed association happens all the time. Most people are just not very good at noticing these kinds of patterns.
But with the right approach, you can overcome this natural limitation and spot the connections with ease. All you have to do is keep a journal.
When we have the right information in front of us, we’re actually very good at finding patterns. And once you can identify your personal tinnitus triggers, you can take steps to avoid them.
Not only will this help to reduce tinnitus spikes, but it will give you the information you need to make better decisions for your health and accurately report back to your doctor.
Read the full article by CLICKING HERE and Glenn Schweitzer also offers his free tracking tool.
We are here to help if you or a family member is having any difficulties with hearing, hearing aids, or Tinnitus please give us a call at 727-323-2471 and set up an appointment.
We can help you.
Susan E. Terry, Au.D., F-AAA, F-NAP
Doctor of Audiology
Board Certified
P.S. We are here to help if you have any questions about your hearing, feel free to give us a call at 727-323-2471