Tinnitus Isn't Curable—Here's What Stops the Ringing

0:00Hi, I'm Dr. Nancy Duncan from Duncan

0:02Hearing Healthcare, and welcome back to

0:04Nancy Knows Hearing.

0:05If you've searched for this video,

0:07you're probably asking a very real

0:09question. How do I get rid of tinnitus?

0:12And you may have tried supplements,

0:14sound apps, advice from Google, or maybe

0:17you've just been told you just have to

0:18live with it.

0:20So, today I want to talk honestly about

0:22what actually works for tinnitus, and

0:24just as importantly, what doesn't.

0:27Because I want to start with an honest

0:29conversation. There is currently no

0:31universal cure that makes tinnitus

0:33disappear for everyone.

0:35And I know that's not what you wanted to

0:37hear right now.

0:38And most people feel the same way, but

0:40clarity and education is powerful. So,

0:43what is possible and very realistic is

0:45learning how to make it much less

0:47noticeable, reducing how loud it feels

0:50to you, and stop it from controlling

0:52your thoughts, sleep, and mood.

0:55For many people, tinnitus becomes

0:56something that they barely notice, and

0:58that's not giving up. That's what we

1:00call success.

1:01Here's something that changes everything

1:03once people fully understand it.

1:05Tinnitus is not just an ear issue, it's

1:08a brain issue.

1:09The sound that you hear is generated by

1:11your nervous system in response to

1:13changes of sound input. So, the goal

1:15isn't to fight the sound. The goal is to

1:18help your brain stop reacting negatively

1:20to it. And when the brain stops treating

1:22tinnitus like a threat, it will simply

1:25fade into the background, just like the

1:27hum of a refrigerator road or road

1:29noise, or the feeling that you're

1:31wearing clothing on your skin. You don't

1:33even notice it anymore.

1:34This process is called habituation, and

1:37it's the foundation of what actually

1:38works.

1:40Let's talk about the tools that truly

1:41can help you.

1:43First, proper hearing evaluation and

1:44education, and this sounds simple, but

1:46it is huge. Understanding why you have

1:49tinnitus, what type it is, and what

1:51factors make it better or worse will

1:53often reduce fear, and fear is what

1:55makes tinnitus louder.

1:57Next, hearing aids when hearing loss is

2:00present. For many people, this is a

2:02game-changer. Hearing aids can restore

2:04missing sound input, which can help the

2:06brain stop reacting. It can reduce the

2:09contrast between tinnitus and silence.

2:12And it can help the brain stop filling

2:13in the gaps.

2:15Many people notice their tinnitus

2:16decrease significantly, sometimes almost

2:19immediately, once they're hearing the

2:20way that they should.

2:22Next is sound therapy and background

2:25sound use, because silence is tinnitus'

2:27best friend.

2:29Using gentle background sounds like soft

2:31music, nature sounds, fans or white

2:34noise, or sound generators can help

2:36reduce how noticeable tinnitus feels,

2:38especially at night. And this isn't what

2:41we call masking. It's helping the brain

2:43relearn that tinnitus is not important

2:46and making it choose a more important

2:48sound. So, reducing stress response is

2:50also important because stress doesn't

2:52cause tinnitus, but it absolutely can

2:54fuel it and make it feel worse. So, what

2:56can help you?

2:58Improving your sleep, learning

3:00relaxation strategies, and reducing

3:02constant monitoring of the tinnitus.

3:04Because when the nervous system calms

3:06down, tinnitus also follows suit.

3:09Tinnitus focus counseling can also help.

3:12This is one of the most overlooked and

3:13most effective treatments. Counseling

3:16can help change how you think about the

3:17sound, reduce your fear and frustration,

3:21and retrain the brain's response. And

3:23this is evidence-based and extremely

3:24effective when done correctly.

3:27So, let's talk about what to be cautious

3:29of and what to be skeptical of when it

3:30comes to your tinnitus.

3:32Well, be cautious of supplements

3:34claiming to cure tinnitus, or detoxes,

3:37or miracle drops,

3:38or one-size-fits-all programs. Because

3:41anyone promising you instant or

3:43permanent silence is just wrong. If

3:45something truly cured tinnitus for

3:47everyone, trust me, it wouldn't be a

3:48secret. We'd be yelling it from the

3:50rooftops. Also, I want to redefine what

3:52success looks like for you.

3:54Success is going hours without thinking

3:57about your tinnitus. Success is sleeping

3:59better, feeling calmer and more in

4:01control, and realizing the sound no

4:03longer scares you. So, when tinnitus

4:05loses its emotional charge, it will lose

4:07its power over you.

4:09And if you're struggling with tinnitus

4:11right now, please make sure you hear

4:12this. There are things that work. There

4:15is help beyond just having to live with

4:17it. And you don't have to figure out

4:20this alone. If this video was helpful to

4:22you, please like it, subscribe to Nancy

4:24Knows Hearing, and share it with someone

4:26who may need hope, not hype. And we're

4:28here to help. So, thank you again for

4:31tuning in, and I'll see you in the next

4:32video.