At Cubex, we appreciate that chronic tinnitus is not merely the experience of sound in the nervous system of the ear and brain. It is the experience of life out of control.How we perceive tinnitus has the potential to disrupt our connection with life. The quality of our wellbeing determines if we allow it to stimulate stress in our system.
The human experience
We don’t just consider your ear’s, we think of you as a human being, and this influences how we approach care.Over ten years ago, Cubex stepped away from the traditional impairment focused model where professionals view tinnitus as an entity and the primary‘problem’ to be solved. Managing tinnitus usually comprised of the use of sound generators either on or off the ear, hearing aid technology and tinnitus retraining methods. While these have relevance, there is littleconsideration for a person’s:
Cogntive health
Quality of mind
Emotional wellbeing
Social & vocational wellbeing
Personal relationships
Personal perceptions of stress
Individual life demands
Capability & readiness to engage in a treatment plan
In other words, it does not consider the whole person.
The whole-person approach
At Cubex; these whole person considerations are key to all decisions made regarding the management of the experience of tinnitus. We go beyond the ear and place a strong emphasis on supporting these whole person considerations.Our one-to-one management programmes like CALM and group courses have one objective in mind; to provide you with the opportunity to increase your potential to live your best-quality life, undisrupted by the presence of tinnitus.
How to start your personal programme
Our one-to-one programmes are highly tailored, personal and are closely supported by our tinnitus specialists. The first step to starting a personal programme is to arrange a consultation & discovery session. During this session, we provide a space to explore your situation and in relation to these whole person considerations. We also complete a cognitive and hearing health assessment and measurement of your tinnitus distress. Tests are carried out for both diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. We allow 2 hours for this initial session.We conclude the session with suggestions regarding a way forward and creating a personal tinnitus treatment plan.Treatment plans can include a combination of the cognitive training, lifestyle strategies, clinical mindfulness, meditation techniques, sleep strategies, sound therapy, hearing health support, psychological support and more. No matter what the solution, our treatment and management plans have one objective in mind; to provide you with the opportunity to increase your potential to live your best-quality life, undisrupted by the presence of tinnitus tinnitus. If you are ready to be an active part of the tinnitus treatment plan, we help you implement this into your daily life over a period of time. . Depending on the way forward, programmes that include support from our specialists can last anything from 8 weeks to 16 weeks. Once this period is over, we would encourage you to check-in at least once a year to review your cognitive hearing health and wellbeing. Top-up sessions to revisit strategies and techniques are also an option.
Tinnitus Courses and Workshops
At Cubex, we regularly run courses and workshops to support people with tinnitus. Led by experts in the fields of Audiology and Modern Mindfulness, these courses and workshops provide an opportunity to learn strategies and techniques to increase our capacity to live well with tinnitus. It is ideal for anyone who is looking to establish a foundation of knowledge about tinnitus, recovering from stress and fatigue and ultimately cultivating greater lasting wellbeing.Click here for details on our next course.
Self-Help
There is a lot of information regarding tinnitus and its treatment in the media – good and bad.
If you are looking for information and trying to self-help, a good place to start might be through reputable tinnitus self-help books and guides. The following are highly recommended to our patients. You can easily purchase this on Amazon or if you have trouble finding the book, let us know and we will source it for you.. Tinnitus information and relaxation guide; Tyler, R.S.; Baguley,D, McKenna L; Carroll,J (2014) Soundcure Inc..The Consumer Handbook on Tinnitus; Tyler, R.S. (Ed). (2008) Auricle Inc., Sedona
In the meantime, you can try this at home:
Find ways to alleviate stress - Stress is a common factor known to aggravate tinnitus. Tinnitus affects the brain in many ways. Not only does it trigger the auditory centre, it also affects the emotional control centres of the brain. This can result in the release of stress hormones. The greater the stress levels, the more significant the perception of tinnitus and the more of a problem it becomes.
Try cutting down on your salt intake - Be aware of foods with high salt levels. Sodium can exacerbate the effects of tinnitus.
Medication - If you are taking any medication or using supplements, take some time to understand the side effects as certain medication can exacerbate tinnitus.
Avoid excessive intake of alcohol, nicotine, caffeine, certain painkillers and stimulants in general.
Start a diary - Be mindful of when your tinnitus improved or became more aggravated and what you were doing around that time. This would be a very useful tool to integrate into your treatment plan.
Manage your soundscape - Turn on the radio when you’re home alone or listen to some music.
Protect your auditory system - Avoid loud environments. If this can’t be avoided, use appropriate and effective ear protection.
Use a sound generator or sound pillow at bedtime.
Bedtime is downtime - Avoid watching television or using the iPhone for social networking or e-mails. These are stimulating activities and not restful. A good use of your smartphone/iPhone/tablet/iPad is to use it as a sound generator to provide a constant, relaxing and non-stimulating background sound.
Engage in some sort of gentle exercise routine during the day - Regular physical activity helps with stress reduction, improving sleep and of course promotes general well-being.