Buzzing, hissing... when tinnitus ruins your life

Permanent buzzing, ringing or even continuous whistling in the ears: these parasitic noises can spoil life. Tinnitus, for the most part have a physiological origin that can be treated medically. They appear following otitis, the formation of a wax plug, a dental problem, a neuromuscular disorder in the cervical vertebrae, a dysfunction of the thyroid gland or hypertension.

In very rare cases, venous malformation or auditory nerve cancer may also be involved. But "in 95% of patients, tinnitus results from aging of the ear due to age or sound trauma that damaged the hair cells of the inner ear," says Dr. Pascal Foeillet, ENT physician . Many teens and young adults are affected by listening to full-volume music in MP3 format.

Limited medical treatments

A complete auscultation, accompanied by a brain MRI and audiogram (auditory test) , makes it possible to identify the origin of the parasitic noises, thus to try to remedy it: treatment of the infection, regulation of the arterial tension or small surgery for example.

If tinnitus arises suddenly at the end of a concert, they can be circumscribed with a rapid treatment based on corticosteroids and vasodilators. These are effective when ghost sounds only appeared 24 to 48 hours ago. Hence the importance of making an emergency appointment with a specialist doctor. Once tinnitus is installed, they are indeed very difficult to dislodge. The best solution is then to learn how to live with it.

Sophrology, a gentle alternative to forget the embarrassment

The acoustic disturbances caused by tinnitus are stressful because they are perceived as a permanent aggression. They often disturb sleep , which in the long run exhausts and amplifies the stress, thus increases the intensity of the discomfort. "To break this infernal circle, you have to find a good emotional balance in order to be able to forget about tinnitus, instead of focusing on it," says Catherine Aliotta, director of the Sophrology Training Institute.

With the help of relaxation exercises and positive visualization, this soft medicine allows you to tame these sound mirages, to distance themselves and to melt them in the ambient noise. "After 5 to 10 weeks, for a weekly session, tinnitus is no longer a disability in 80% of patients," says Catherine Aliotta.

Sophrology is not reimbursed by social security (45 € to 75 € per session), but it is reimbursed by some mutuals.

Sound therapies to mask tinnitus

The principle is to reprogram the auditory area of ​​the brain so that it no longer pays attention to tinnitus. This auditory re-education involves listening to colored noises - white noises and pink noises - that filter unwanted noise and reduce their perception. "Scientific studies have shown that white noises - perceived as a continuous breath - have a real action of desensitization to tinnitus, notes the music therapist Philippe Barraqué, author of Say stop to your tinnitus (ed J. Lyon). Pink noises - close to a sound of water - restore auditory comfort by coating and gradually covering whistles and buzzing. For optimal efficiency, listen to them alternately every other day.

There are now hearing aids designed for tinnitus people who generate white or pink noises to mask tinnitus.

Tinnitus can also be alleviated by changing dietary habits. To begin, limit salty foods and ban glutamate, which is very present in Chinese cuisine. Also beware of foods rich in salicylates (endive, radish, apricot, blackberry, wine and cinnamon) that trigger the occurrence of tinnitus in sensitive people. However, fill up with vitamin A (raw butter, fatty fish), vitamin E (olive oil, nuts) and zinc (oyster, egg yolk) because they reduce the discomfort.

* www.chambre-syndicale-sophrologie.fr/trouver-sophrologue