Stress And Tinnitus
Whenever I'm under some form of stress I find that my tinnitus is much worse. It definitely becomes louder. Usually I hear a sound like a whirring, whining noise, with a buzzing in the background. That's what I hear in both my ears. But when I'm feeling stressed, the noise gets louder and more high-pitched. I also notice a piercing shrill sound in my head – like high-tension wire. That is unbearable. It is so painful! I find I get very irritable and quick-tempered. My whole body seems to go rigid in response to the noise. My muscles become tight-like steel rods through my whole body. My head aches with the sound.
My whole body aches! On really bad days I have to take the day off work. I try to relax, but it is so hard with the constant noise! It seems as though any form of stress makes things worse – such as when I'm under pressure at work, trying to meet a deadline, or just trying to juggle everything at home. I have too many things to do and not enough time. I feel so out of control – like I'm going to lose the plot! I used to be able to manage stress, but now with the noises in my head, I just can't seem to cope.
Stress and Tinnitus
Many people with tinnitus report a relationship between their tinnitus and stress. Some people comment that their tinnitus makes them nervous and tense; alternatively, others comment that their tinnitus becomes worse during periods of physical or emotional stress or fatigue. It is possible that the presence of external stress may lead a person to view the tinnitus in a more negative manner, simply because stress makes everything seem worse (including the tinnitus). In order to gauge whether there is a relationship between your tinnitus and stress, here are some questions you might consider:
- Does your tinnitus get louder when you are under stress?
- Do you have more difficulty managing your tinnitus when you are under stress?
- What sort of stress makes it more difficult to manage your tinnitus?
What Is Relaxation Training?
Relaxation training helps a person achieve deep levels of physical relaxation, producing a state of mental calmness and tranquility. Relaxation can also decrease the time that it takes to fall asleep and can improve the quality of sleep. Essentially, relaxation training is a valuable life skill to learn, because it is beneficial to be able to relax on demand, particularly when dealing with stressful situations, including those times when your tinnitus may be annoying and interfering with your everyday functioning.
There are several different types of relaxation training, including meditation, yoga, and biofeedback. We will describe progressive muscle relaxation (PMR), a procedure originally developed by physiologist Edmund Jacobson in the 1930s, which has since been modified in more recent years. Progressive muscle relaxation has been proven to be a valuable technique in reducing people's tension and subsequent stress levels when practiced on a regular basis, particularly for those individuals who are prone to feeling anxious or uptight. The procedure consists of learning to sequentially tense and then relax the major muscle groups throughout the body.
The basic components of PMR consist of:
- Learning to tense and then relax various groups of muscles throughout the body. The muscle groups include: left and right hands; arms and biceps; face (forehead, eyes, cheeks, jaw, mouth); neck and throat; shoulders, chest, back and stomach; and upper legs, lower legs and feet.
- Attending to the physical sensations associated with both tension and relaxation. This focus is necessary in order to learn to differentiate between tension and relaxation and to be able to pinpoint tension as it arises in everyday situations.
- After tensing each muscle group for approximately 15 seconds, the tension is slowly released from each muscle group. Attention is then focused on the relaxed muscle group for a minute or even longer.
The reason for asking you to tense the muscles first is to provide a "running start" toward deep relaxation. The tension cycle provides momentum and will give you a good opportunity to become aware of what tension really feels like. It will allow you to compare and appreciate the difference in sensation between tension and relaxation. It is important that you release the tension slowly, not all at once, so you can be aware of the varying degrees of tension.
Learning relaxation is a skill. As with learning any skill (e.g., driving a car, playing a sport, etc.), you will need to practice relaxation on a regular basis in order to achieve maximum skill and benefit. In addition to regular home practice, learning to apply relaxation techniques in everyday situations is important. The primary goal of relaxation training is to be able to relax whenever you need to reduce tension. Situations in which you may need to apply relaxation include those in which you notice that you are under stress, when trying to get to sleep, or when your tinnitus is really loud and annoying.
Setting the Scene for Relaxation
It is important to ensure that the physical setting is appropriate to practice your relaxation in the initial stages. Select a quiet room with dim lighting. Close all windows and doors, and draw the curtains and/or blinds. Seat yourself in a comfortable chair with head and neck support, including armrests. We suggest that you avoid lying down, particularly when first learning progressive muscle relaxation, as many people find they fall asleep. It is obviously not possible to practice this relaxation skill if you are asleep.
We also recommend that you remove your glasses, watch, and shoes in order to allow for greater comfort, as well as to reduce any unnecessary external stimulation. To avoid distraction during your practice session, we suggest that you close your eyes. It might also be useful to take the telephone off the hook or turn off your cell phone or pager in order to avoid interruptions to your practice. As you develop your relaxation skills, we suggest that you practice in less comfortable surroundings and try it out even when you are doing normal activities such as cleaning, working, making phone calls, or just going for a walk.
It is important that you avoid tensing any muscles too tightly, as this may produce pain or muscle cramp. This is particularly important if any pain or injury is present (e.g., existing back pain or arthritis). In other words, do not overtense the affected muscle area. With any injury or pain problem, there is likely to be an existing level of tension, so avoid tensing this muscle area and focus on relaxing the muscle. Next post, I'll explain more in details. At mean time, you can check out Stress And Tinnitus.
Related posts: