COVID-19 has not been kind to people suffering from various diseases, and especially not with the ones who struggle with tinnitus. As the pandemic shuts down more countries, people worldwide are dealing with worse ringing in their ears. The medical crisis has triggered a spike in anxiety levels worldwide with job loss, medical issues, travel bans, and closures.
With the massive disruption routine, COVID-19 has created the perfect environment of suffering for you, already struggling to manage tinnitus. It has already been challenging to cope with the condition when you were otherwise relaxed and healthy, but you feel hopeless with the planet in a complete shutdown. You’re not the only one who feels coronavirus made your tinnitus symptoms worse. Patients worldwide, who habituated and managed their symptoms, have experienced relapse lately.
With the coronavirus showing no signs of slowing down, you must learn to cope with tinnitus and the stress the pandemic causes. How?
Focus on winning the moment in front of you
Yes, you’re in a difficult moment, but it doesn’t mean you cannot control your emotions and body responses. You can relax and feel more comfortable. You cannot lower the ringing volume in your ears, but you can alleviate the suffering it produces. Obsessive negative thinking makes it challenging to focus on the present moment, and most of the suffering you experience is linked to the story you tell yourself (“I’ll never be OK!”). You feel more than emotional discomfort, your thoughts overwhelm you. It may seem like your mind is adding an extra layer of suffering on top of the emotional and physiological pain you’re already suffering. But you can separate yourself from the fear you feel and enhance your ability to cope with the symptoms.
Use the tinnitus reaction technique
When the symptoms are severe, you feel paralyzed, and it’s challenging to prevent an adverse emotional reaction. But you can relieve this acute suffering with the tinnitus reaction technique. The intensity of the suffering doesn’t escalate instantly; it takes a while to ramp up. You must identify it in time to stop it before it provokes negative emotions. Don’t ignore the ringing when you can barely hear it because it will grow and work your nervous system. When the first symptoms of tinnitus kick in, stop whatever you do and lie down or sit in a comfortable position, take deep breaths, relax your muscles, remind yourself that it’s just an episode that will pass, and try to focus on a distraction.
Don’t let the pandemic take over your life
Everyone is stressed out about the effect the pandemic has on their lives, but you should stop it from controlling yours. Social media and TV provide you with constant updates on the crisis’s evolution, but to lower the stress, schedule the times you check the updates. Two times a day is enough. Get your information from reliable sources like the World Health Organization and the Center for Disease Control, and don’t let the media torment you with fake news.