How I recover from tinnitus spikes

[Kipp3]

My tinnitus advice -

I have tinnitus in both ears and been through extended periods of severe tinnitus, now my left ear is almost inaudible and the right is mild/ moderate (audionotch tuner on 9550Hz at 1% volume and computer volume at 26 except the tinnitus is not as pronounced or as piercing as the pure tone/ the tinnitus has more of a dispersed effect).

I have had multiple spikes. The way I have recovered from them to get the tinnitus back to a manageable level is;

Avoid triggers

• Ototoxic medication (harmful to the ear)

• Sudden sharp loud noises (I carry foam ear plugs and if I’m going somewhere that might be excessively loud I take Vanderfields ear defenders to go over the top)

• Ear wax/ trying to get out ear wax and pushing it on the eardrum or putting bacteria in the ear and getting an ear infection (see ENT for manual extraction as microsuction apparently can be too loud near eardrum – after getting wax removed multiple times my tinnitus has been almost inaudible)

Reducing stress and blood pressure

• Mindfulness moments of stopping for periods of deeper breathing and checking in with heart beat and blood flow

• Slowing down thought - maybe try thinking or talking like Severus Snape from Harry Potter or agent Smith from the matrix: clear, calm and calculated

Fasting every so often

• Eat last meal early then don’t eat again until same time next day

• Fasting makes the body go into autophagy where cells that are dysfunctional undergo ‘pruning’ and processes that are unnecessary are put on hold because the body prioritizes survival which I find has helped to reduce my tinnitus

• (Consult with doctor if necessary and increase calorie intake so to not lose weight)

Exercise

• I go jogging

• Helps with feeling tired to promote sleep and feel-good chemicals to improve mental health

Lifestyle

• Since getting tinnitus I found that it became life or death to recover from it and once I did not to let it go back off, because of this is adapted a very strict regimen approach to it that was really an entire life reform but also as well as preventing tinnitus had multiple other quality of life improvements (this might be controversial because most of this is very uncommon but I adapted in this way because I found myself in a life or death situation, but I am writing with the intention of sharing what helps me and hopefully it might help others too)

• Only drink and cook with distilled water (removes 99.9% of contaminants from water leaving just H2O) (Two Megahome 316 deluxe distillers (£180 each) - 4 litres each = 8 litres in 5 hours (every day/ every other day at 550 watts each = around £50 per month electric cost)) – municipal water is treated with chlorine, fluoride and synthetic vitamins, also unless the water is distilled it can’t remove toxins such as heavy metals, medications (such as agricultural run-off; antibiotics, hormones, vaccines etc.) and medications urinated by other people which includes ototoxic medications), microplastics, bacteria, viruses, salts, atrazine (study showed male frogs exposed to atrazine grew ovaries and could bear offspring) etc. (it is estimated there could be more than 50000 different chemicals in municipal water). Plastic from bottled water can leach into the water and is also non-distilled except nestle smart water but is in plastic and has agents added which are mentioned next

• Chlorine (chloride) (swimming pools, municipal water, bottled water), fluoride (toothpaste, municipal water, bottled water), salt (diet, ocean, municipal water, bottled water), synthetic calcium (calcium carbonate (chalk)) (synthetic vitamins, toothpaste, white flour, municipal water, bottled water) are calcifying agents which means they accumulate deposits in the pineal gland which is located in the center of the brain and is responsible for producing and secreting melatonin (energy levels and sleep) and I would also say mental lucidity and so I avoid these sources to avoid these agents

google.com/search?sxsrf=AB5...

Don’t put anything on skin that you wouldn’t consume because skin just absorbs it into system –

• Don’t use any chemicals

• Wash with distilled water (small bowl and flannels), wash hair by leaning forward into a big glass mixing bowl and scratching/ massaging head, I brush teeth with oral-b pro 3 electric toothbrush without toothpaste and humble co plant-based floss picks, wash hands with distilled water

• Use IKEA natural rubber gloves (£1 each) when working with municipal water, if get any on skin I rub it off on my clothes

• Wash clothes the old fashion way - repeatedly squeeze it in a bowl with distilled water or collected rainwater which is distilled water (evaporates to gas state leaving contents on the ground then falls as pure water), to remove stains I use a scrubbing brush. Every while wash clothes in washing machine with Nellie’s laundry soda and Dettol laundry cleanser, rinse cycle, then wash in distilled water. Don’t wash bed linin and just turn inside out after one month then replace with new ones every 2 – 3 months. I use a £3 cotton sheet to go over the top of my sheet and lay on that so it preserves the under sheet and the £3 one can be replaced more frequently cheaply. Duvets washed at laundrettes

• Only use pure cotton clothing (or pure wool) and pure cotton bed-linen because plastic (polyester, nylon, polyamide etc.) off-gasses (chemicals released as gas) which enter the body (I use; M&S 10.5 tog duck feather double duvet with cotton outer, M&S firm duck feather pillows with cotton outer, in summer soak and sleep 2.5 tog pure cotton double duvet, amazon NIYS cotton sheet king £14 (I use mattress suspenders to hold it on), amazon linens world cotton duvet cover double with two pillow cases £20)

Diet

• Try to eat only organic foods whole foods (free from pesticides and in case of animal products antibiotics and hormones)

• Don’t eat fish because of heavy metals, microplastics and fluoride content

• Don’t eat added sugar or sugary foods or added salt or salty foods

• Use distilled water and wipe cooking-ware, plates and bowls with a tea towel before using and wipe cutlery with a tea towel to get soap film off before using which can damage gut lining and kill microbiome

• Use glass cup/ mug, use BPA free plastic for water bottles and food containers (sistema) and use PTFE/ teflon and PFOA free cooking-ware (procook professional ceramic)

• I have noticed in the past some foods can have an associated effect (such as heavy metals or calcifying agent), as well I have had products that have affected my tinnitus which I will call out but I haven’t tried since to tell whether they still affect my tinnitus; wholefoods chicken, yeo valley cheddar cheese, Holland and Barret millet, because of this to try new foods I take a small bite and wait an hour and don’t eat at restaurants

Blue light

• Minimize/ eliminate blue light exposure which is strong enough to damage the eyes and suppress melatonin production which prevents sleep (bright tells circadian rhythm its sunrise/ daytime and time to produce energy)

• Use a low lumen projector (ViewSonic M1 mini (120 lumens)) with settings on low brightness and orange tint

• Put night light mode on laptop

• Wear orange tinted blue light blocking glasses (UVEX skyper with a pair of no cry over the top)

• Put night light mode on phone and use anti-blue light tempered glass screen cover

Sleep

• No blue light sources one hour before bed

• Don’t sleep with phone by bed/ put it furthest away or turn it off or on flight mode

• Turn off electricals that don’t need to be on and don’t sleep with head on side of the bed next to a wall because electrics are interpreted by the brain the same way that light is and so it’s like trying to sleep with a light on

• Sleep with a fan (EasyAcc mini) and an mp3 player with a speaker playing white noise

[Happyrosie]

your comments re very interesting.

I use filtered water personally for drinking and cooking.

I know a man who only washes his body and hair in water. By ten a.m. he was a little whiffy. By 3 p.m. I could barely manage to stay in the same room because of his body odour.

My sheets are a little whiffy after a week so they get a standard wash (using less detergent than recommended by the manufacturer) after seven days.

A certain amount of salt is essential for proper body functioning. Though I use less than half the govt”s recommended amount and make own bread.

[beaverwood]

Basically, don't have a life?

[TinnitusUKPat Partner]

Dear Kipp3

Thank you for your post. We welcome all experiences of tinnitus and how individuals manage it, and that does include ones like yours which differ from the majority of people who contact us.

I would respectfully say that a lot of what you are describing in your post takes protective behaviours to a degree which is unlikely to be helpful or practical for most of our readers. To take one example, the connections being drawn between diet and tinnitus are not reflected in a lot of the research which we've seen.

With best wishes

Pat

[Tia4]

Hi Kipp3You make some valid points but I feel too extreme. Sadly your lifestyle is far too expensive and impractical for most people. Reducing stress & being more relaxed no doubt is helpful with the management of tinnutis, reducing our intake of processed foods is also very beneficial to our overall health. However, replacing bed linen every 2 months is only increasing your carbon footprint & not good for the planet, talking of which, do you have a car, use trains, buses etc?? I am surprised you use a mobile telephone, some research suggests there are carcinogenic effects of this, also surprised you use a computer. But, as you say, it helps you and if you can sustain this lifestyle and are happy then you aren't harming anyone. Out of interest, do you have a family/partner that you share your life with???

[rabbits65]

interesting facts but I think in this world we are all becoming far to fussy, people already are becoming obsessive and this fussiness and worrying about this and that, use this and use that just means basically we are in constant worry mode. At my age I will carry on as I am . 😀

[bantams]

I find that by keeping busy, spending as much time outside and not letting my T sound get me downand just try to enjoy life is best for me, but good luck to do all those things.

[D-w-L2023]

Personally, it seems excessive to me but I guess it's whatever gets you through the night and if it works for you stay with it.