Graham’s Battle with Tinnitus and How He Managed His Symptoms

Graham, an individual who suffered severely with tinnitus for some time spoke up about his own personal experiences and we thought you might find it both insightful and helpful.

Graham said: “My own view on Tinnitus is that everyone has it, it's just that most people are unaware of it. Most of the time the brain does a magnificent job in filtering out unwanted sounds. I occasionally play golf at Thirsk where the course is about half a mile or so from the A19 with its constant traffic noise. Often someone will say “just listen to the A19”. The result is that we all hear it, and then 30 seconds later it's gone. Why? Because it's unimportant, and your brain knows it is.

My own Tinnitus makes an appearance and then it stops, returns, and stops again. Why? Because it doesn't worry me anymore - I have learned to ignore it.”

Graham agrees with our Tinnitus Awareness blog, where we mention that habituation is the key. However, he goes on to say that, in his personal experience, wearing earmuffs or earplugs didn’t work and actually made things distinctly worse. “I suppose that's because Tinnitus comes from within,” he said.

“For me,” Graham continued, “and I suspect for most people, the worst time is in bed. I tried white noise, wind chimes, waves breaking on the beach, and many others before I found my own solution which was to listen via Bluetooth ear buds to a variety of voice-overs. It took quite a few months and some bad nights to reach the point where I could just put the light out and fall asleep.

If it returned, as it sometimes did, I knew that I could focus on an upcoming event, or problem, or indeed anything that needed a bit of thought, and go to sleep. Brilliant.”

Graham tells us that he used one Sarabec product “the Sound Oasis Sound Relaxer" (discontinued with upgraded alternative available here) – and found it useful while working or watching television and for when he needed a background distraction such as Ocean Waves or something similar.

He says: “The one-off shelf product I found to be very useful was a CD (yes, A CD!) called “Deep Relaxation A Journey” by Eileen Hewitson. I obtained it from The British Tinnitus Association. It consists of 7 separate tracks of 7-15 minutes each, designed to promote relaxation through clenching and unclenching the muscles. Another key part of the each of the tracks was the emphasis on deep slow breathing as a means of reducing anxiety – very useful, especially when It’s difficult to think about anything else but the unwelcome sound in your ear.

Help and Advice

You can explore Sarabec’s range of Tinnitus products to help manage tinnitus symptoms at home.

Please remember that It's important to seek medical advice if you feel like you might be suffering from tinnitus and require some support or advice.

For FREE advice on the specifications of our products, or for some help with understanding what system might be right for you, get in touch via our contact form today. We’re always available and on hand to ensure you receive the best customer experience.

Why Sarabec Ltd?

At Sarabec Ltd, the leading UK suppliers of hearing equipment, including loop systems, extra loud doorbells, phones, and other products, we aim to offer a layer of independence while supporting the day-to-day living of those with a hearing impairment.

We’re here to help.