The Tinnitus Clinic is not a helpline or crisis centre. If you are in crisis with your tinnitus, you must seek appropriate emergency care immediately. Please contact your healthcare professional and/or the emergency department of your local hospital for assistance.  The following  services may also be of assistance where crisis care is required:

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​The following information is provided for general guidance and is not intended as a replacement for professional assessment and treatment. Please contact your healthcare provider in the first instance.

 

1. Maintain a rich sound environment. This helps to stimulate the auditory pathways and retrain your brain to defocus away from the tinnitus. \if you have significant hearing loss, consider the fitment of hearing aid(as) as appropriate.

 

2. Use ear protection when sound exposure is likely to cause hearing damage (e.g. loud concerts, occupational noise, movie theatre, prolonged dental work, etc). Ear protection should be selected depending on the situation (e.g. Musician’s ear plugs for concerts and movie theatre; ear muffs for industrial situations; noise cancelling headphones for long haul flights).

 

3. Avoid very quiet environments or blocking your ears or using ear plugs in normal sound level situations. This is particularly relevant in the early stages of tinnitus. Once you have habituated to your tinnitus and hardly ever notice it and are no longer distressed by your tinnitus, you will be able to enjoy very quiet situations again.

 

4. Do not be overly concerned about temporary spikes in your tinnitus which can occur from time-to-time as a result of reactive tinnitus to certain triggers such as car cabin noise when on a long trip, certain foods and drinks, medications, stress, dental treatment, neck and jaw problems, neuralgia, etc. For most people, the peak intensity eases over time.

 

5. Discuss your medications with your GP  and/or treating specialist. Some medications or combinations of medications have been reported to trigger or exacerbate tinnitus or can cause damage to your hearing - ototoxic (e.g. Aspirin and certain antibiotics).

 

6. Remember that tinnitus perception is strongly correlated to your degree of stress and anxiety about tinnitus. Fear of tinnitus will enhance your attention to the tinnitus and contribute to distress and anxiety and this will increase your perception of tinnitus. As a consequence, what is a small tinnitus signal can be perceived as overwhelmingly loud as your auditory neural pathways amplify the internal sound.

 

7. Utilise any technique that reduces your anxiety levels such as relaxation, meditation, mindfulness, hypnosis, neurofeedback, yoga, tai chi, etc. It is important that you receive reassurance, understanding and support from a suitably qualified tinnitus counsellor.

 

8. The use of appropriately prescribed medication in the early stages of tinnitus is understandable and acceptable. If medication is of the benzodiazapine family, then possible addition and withdrawal is a consideration. Short-term and infrequent use is best. Slow withdrawal is important to minimise the chances of tinnitus spikes.

 

9. Remember that invariably tinnitus improves over time and in many people they become completely unaware of their tinnitus for most of the time. For some people, being aware of head or ear-sounds is a normal phenomenon. The most realistic goal is therefore to only be aware of your tinnitus when you listen for it or in very quiet situations.

 

10. Tinnitus perception and intensity invariably eases over time. However, if you become extremely distressed or affected by your tinnitus it is important to talk to someone about it. If you are in an emergency, or at immediate risk of harm to yourself or others, please contact emergency services and talk to someone now.