Tinnitus is characterized by the perception of sound, such as ringing, buzzing or hissing in the ears without an external source. It affects more than 50 million people in the United States. The severity and duration of tinnitus can vary greatly; for some, it’s a fleeting experience, while for others, it can be persistent and significantly impact their quality of life.
Typically, tinnitus is a symptom of underlying conditions, including age or noise-related hearing loss, ototoxicity (damage to the inner ear from certain medications) and ear injuries. While tinnitus may flare up without an identifiable trigger, sleep deprivation, caffeine and psychological stress have been shown to exacerbate tinnitus symptoms.
Let’s take a look at the tinnitus-stress cycle and how yoga can help break it.
The Tinnitus-Stress Cycle
Because stress can lead to tinnitus flare-ups, and tinnitus can, in turn, lead to stress, many patients get caught in a frustrating cycle. Yoga is one potential remedy to help interrupt the stress cycle.
How Does Yoga Relieve Tinnitus Stress?
Yoga, an ancient practice intertwining physical postures, breathing exercises and meditation, has expanded from its spiritual roots into a holistic approach to promoting mental and physical well-being. Beyond its well-documented benefits like stress management, mental-emotional health support, improved sleep and pain relief, some studies show that it can help minimize tinnitus symptoms.
A review conducted in 2021 examined five studies on the impact of yoga on tinnitus. Three of these studies reported positive outcomes, noting reductions in the severity of tinnitus symptoms as well as decreases in anxiety, irritability and related stress.
Getting Started with Yoga
For those new to yoga, starting safely is crucial. Try a few beginner moves like child’s pose, mountain pose, downward dog, chair pose and corpse pose. The internet is full of helpful guides and videos to guide you through beginner practices. If you’re not sure where to start, try taking a class at Grow Yoga.
In addition to yoga poses, meditation and deep breathing can help move your attention away from negative or unproductive thoughts. It can be pivotal for tinnitus stress relief. Meditation can take many forms, including but not limited to:
- Body-centered: focusing on the physical sensations in your body
- Emotion-centered: focusing on and elevating a specific positive emotion
- Mantra: repeating a word or phrase
- Mindfulness: staying aware of what’s going on in your body and mind and working to focus on positivity
- Visual-based: concentrating on a positive or calming mental image
Tinnitus relief is different for every patient. Some may find sufficient relief from relaxation techniques like yoga and meditation. Others might need to combine relaxation with treatment options like tinnitus retraining therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy or sound masking with hearing aids and noise machines. Contact North Alabama ENT Associates today to talk to one of our specialists about finding the right symptom management path.