These ringing, ringing or ringing in the ears disrupt the lives of 16 million French people. They generate stress, fatigue, anxiety, and even depression in the most severe cases. Fortunately, there are solutions. Permanent buzzing, ringing or even continuous whistling in the ears:these parasitic noises can ruin our lives. Tinnitus, for the most part, has a physiological origin that can be treated medically. They appear following an otitis, the formation of an earwax plug, a dental problem, a neuromuscular disorder in the cervical vertebrae, a dysfunction of the thyroid gland or hypertension in particular.
In very rare cases, a venous malformation or cancer of the auditory nerve may also be involved. But "in 95% of patients, tinnitus results from aging of the ear due to age or sound trauma that has damaged the hair cells of the inner ear", explains Dr. Pascal Foeillet, ENT doctor. . Many teenagers and young adults are affected by listening to music at full volume in MP3 format.
A complete auscultation, accompanied by a cerebral MRI and audiogram (hearing test), makes it possible to identify the origin of the parasitic noises, therefore to try to remedy them:treatment of the infection, regulation of the blood pressure or small surgery for example.
If tinnitus appears suddenly after a concert, it can be circumscribed with rapid treatment based on corticosteroids and vasodilators. These are effective when the phantom noises only appeared 24 to 48 hours earlier. Hence the importance of making an emergency appointment with a medical specialist. Once tinnitus sets in, it is indeed very difficult to dislodge. The best solution then is to learn to live with it.
Video of the day:The acoustic disturbances caused by tinnitus generate stress because they are perceived as a permanent aggression. They often disturb sleep, which in the long run exhausts and amplifies stress, thus increasing 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", observes Catherine Aliotta, director of the Sophrology Training Institute.
With the help of relaxation and positive visualization exercises, this alternative medicine thus makes it possible to tame these sound mirages, to gain distance and to melt them into the ambient noise. "After 5 to 10 weeks, at the rate of a weekly session, tinnitus no longer constitutes a handicap in 80% of patients", observes Catherine Aliotta.
Sophrology is not reimbursed by social security (€45 to €75 per session), but it is reimbursed by certain mutual funds.
The principle consists of reprogramming the auditory area of the brain so that it no longer pays attention to tinnitus. This auditory rehabilitation involves listening to colored noises - white noises and pink noises - which filter out unwanted noises and thus reduce their perception. "Scientific studies have shown that white noise - perceived as a continuous breath - has a real desensitizing effect on tinnitus, notes music therapist Philippe Barraqué, author of Dites stop à vos acouphènes (ed. J. Lyon). Pink noises - similar to the sound of water - restore auditory comfort by gradually coating and covering whistling and buzzing". For optimal efficiency, it is better to listen to them alternately, every other day.
There are now hearing aids designed for people with tinnitus that generate white or pink noise to mask the tinnitus.
Tinnitus can also be alleviated by changing eating habits. To start, limit salty foods and banish glutamate, which is very present in Chinese cuisine. Also beware of foods rich in salicylates (endive, radish, apricot, blackberry, wine and cinnamon) which trigger ringing in the ears in sensitive people. On the other hand, stock up on vitamin A (raw butter, oily fish), vitamin E (olive oil, nuts) and zinc (oysters, egg yolk) because they reduce discomfort.
*www.chambre-syndicale-sophrologie.fr/trouver-sophrologue
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