Spring hits and your tinnitus goes crazy.
More ringing,
More fullness,
More of that muffled underwater feeling.
And your brain immediately goes Did I do something wrong?
Is this permanent?
What is happening?
In this video,
I will show you exactly what's happening and I promise it's not what you think.
My name is Guy.
I've been managing severe tinnitus and severe hearing loss for more than 15 years.
I now use all my experience and all my knowledge to help other tinnitus sufferers.
Here's something that most people don't realize about seasonal allergies.
It's not just about sneezing and itchy eyes.
Allergies can actually mess up with many systems in your body.
When your body detects pollen,
It releases histamine.
And that triggers inflammation.
That inflammation can trigger a whole chain reaction,
More mucus,
More congestion.
Eustachian tube dysfunction.
Pressure changes,
That weird popping feeling you have in your ears.
Muffled hearing,
So on.
And when all of that is happening,
Your tinnitus can feel louder.
Not because anything changed with your ears,
But because your entire system is more irritated,
More congested,
And even your ears are not equalizing normally.
Think of it like listening to music through a pillow.
The sound is the same,
But your experience is completely different.
So if you're sitting and wondering,
Did I do something wrong?
Did I damage anything?
The answer is probably not.
You're probably just dealing with inflamed,
Congested system during allergy season.
One important note though,
If you feel pressure and pain,
That's worth checking out.
Pain is your signal to see a doctor.
Fullness and muffled here and along,
That's probably seasonal.
The biggest lever you have is to manage the allergy response The less allergic reaction you have in your body,
The less likely it is to hit your sinuses and your ears.
If over-the-counter antihistamine is not really working for you,
Speak to an allergist.
Trust me,
It's definitely worth it.
Also,
And this is surprising many people,
If you've been taking more ibuprofen or other medication from the same family during allergy season,
That in itself can actually actually make tinnitus worse for some people.
Ibuprofen in higher dosages is known to be autotoxic.
This means it can actually damage your hearing system.
And or increase your tinnitus symptoms.
So it's definitely worthwhile,
Be cautious with dosages and how often you take this medication.
Of course,
There are other simple things that can help.
Staying inside the house when the pollen count outside are high.
Keep windows closed on bad days,
Like when the pollen counts are high outside or the air quality is very low.
Have a filter in your car or in your house can definitely be helpful.
Staying hydrated.
And if you feel congested,
Steam or hot shower can really work wonders.
And of course,
If you need to,
You can use sound therapy to focus away from the symptoms.
Relaxation techniques,
Mindfulness,
Vagus nerve stimulation,
All these things are really good in allergy season as well.
Okay,
Here's the part I really want you to hear,
And this is where it gets really individual,
Because how much allergy season hits your tinnitus depends a lot on your own reactivity.
For some of you,
It's mostly the allergy impact around your ears.
For others it's almost entirely stress and your nervous system response.
Even if your allergies aren't dramatically affecting your ears.
They can still make tinnitus much worse.
And this is the thing that most people completely miss.
If you're one of those people that is really affected by allergy season,
Think about what you experience throughout the day.
You're sneezing constantly,
Your eyes itch.
You can't sleep right?
And you feel like your head is about to explode.
Basically,
You feel miserable.
That misery puts your nervous system on alert.
And when your nervous system is on alert,
Guess what?
Tinnitus feels louder,
More intrusive.
And much harder to ignore.
So sometimes allergies start this whole process,
But the stress,
Sleep deprivation,
And the monitoring of all your symptoms.
That is what keeps it going.
This is huge because it means that the solution is not just about your ills or anti-histamine.
Yes,
Of course you need to manage the allergies and support your ears.
But also make sure to calm down your nervous system.
That means breathing,
Grounding,
Not doom spiraling,
Not getting caught in thoughts like,
Is this permanent?
What did I do?
You need to respond to the spike with techniques that will help you relax and get back the attention so you can focus back on your life.
Because here's the pattern.
Allergy season flows tinnitus directly or indirectly.
You get anxious or stressed.
Your stress makes tinnitus louder.
And now you're anxious about all that.
It's another common tinnitus loop.
Breaking that loop is often more powerful than the physical treatment.
The next time when you experience an allergy spike,
Ask yourself two questions.
Not just what is happening in my ears and my sinuses,
What is happening in my nervous system right now?
That second question is going to help you get relief much faster.
Yes,
Allergy season can definitely make tinnitus worse.
Not because it causes tinnitus,
But because it can irritate your ears,
Your sinuses,
Mess up with pressure and congestion,
And ramp up your general stress,
Which makes tinnitus so much harder to cope with.
You're not imagining it.
Your ears aren't broken.
It's spring.
