These 7 stretches and tips may ease your tinnitus

There’s nothing more distracting than a high-pitched ringing in your ear—or a whooshing—or a muffled drumming. Living with tinnitus can be exhausting, so at times, you may feel like there's no path to relief. And, to make matters worse, many known tinnitus treatment options aren’t exactly universally effective.

Fortunately, there are a few methods you can try that may help reduce distraction felt from in-ear discomfort. If you're wondering how to stop ringing in the ears, we're here to help. From simple exercises to helpful products, here are seven ways to potentially reduce tinnitus symptoms.

1. Try jaw stretches for tinnitus relief

Many avenues for tinnitus relief rest in your jaw muscles. One easy tinnitus exercise worth trying involves opening your mouth as wide as possible to release your jaw. Place one hand on your chin and one on your forehead.

Using the hand on your chin, support the muscles in your cheeks, and allow them to expand. It may feel silly, but hold this open-mouthed position for 2 to 3 minutes for the best results.

Learn more about tinnitus stretches

2. Give yourself a facial massage to relax your jaw

Also in the facial realm, you may find relief from ear ringing by relaxing the muscles in your jawline. This can be done by hand, or with a massage tool, like a massage ball. You can buy a three-pack of Bilskirnir smooth massage balls on Amazon. The point of this exercise is to loosen your muscles, therefore decreasing pain in the facial and ear region.

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3. Use white noise to distract from ringing in the ears

There’s one thing that often quiets the whooshing noise in my ear: other noise. Playing white noise in your day-to-day life may distract you from your internal sounds if nothing else can bring tinnitus relief.

To do this, add a white noise machine to your daily routine. Dreamegg makes a portable white noise machine that can travel with you, whether that’s between rooms or across continents. The familiarity of the noise is a comfort in itself, not to mention, with so much sound, your own tinnitus may just melt away into it.

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4. Drown the world out with noise-canceling headphones

In a similar vein, sometimes noise control means taking outside sound away. To do this, I use a strong pair of noise-canceling headphones. Our favorite buds, like the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II, allow me to turn off irritating and triggering noises. In doing this, I’m able to listen to my own music, podcast, or white noise without outside sound pollution.
While they’re not the cheapest option on the market, I return to the Bose brand over and over because of how reliable they’ve become throughout my daily routine.

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5. Stretch your neck to release tension

It’s no secret that your neck muscles hold lots of tension, and that may contribute to the intensity of your tinnitus symptoms. Be very careful when attempting to stretch this vulnerable part of your body, but know you may find some relief from gentle and regular exercise.

One of the best neck exercises for tinnitus begins by tilting your head side to side. If this feels good, you can nod your head yes and no. You may find positions which accelerate, or negate, your tinnitus ringing. Should you find these, hold the pose for a little while.

6. Record what works

This may sound like a no-brainer, but those of us with chronic illnesses know all too well how important it is to keep track of what works. You’ll get advice from dozens of healthcare providers, friends, Instagram accounts, and even strangers, all swearing by something that supposedly healed them. By now, you’ve probably learned that no solution is “one size fits all.”

Leuchtturm1917 A5 Notebook

These climate-friendly journals allow you to take helpful notes while also taking steps to help save the planet.

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Carry a journal with you (or use your phone’s notes app) to jot down where you are and what you’re doing when you find relief. Over time, you may notice a pattern based on your personal activity. It’s possible something completely unpredictable brings you comfort, like lying on one side or listening to a certain kind of music. Comfort routines are unique, so, while this list may help you, be open to learning new things about your body and how you can improve your peace of mind.

If you’re anything like me, you may be looking for a cute bit of stationary to start this tracking journey. These climate-friendly journals from Leuchttrum retail for $23 and come in a wide variety of colors. For extra fun, here are my favorite journaling pens.

Kaco Pure Retractable Gel Ink Pens

If you want to journal in style, this pack of pens features five different colors capable of capturing your artistic whimsy.

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7. Try cognitive behavioral therapy

Talk therapy may not be your first line of defense when it comes to a physical symptom, but it can help reduce stress in ways other methods can’t. Some evidence suggests cognitive behavioral therapy in particular could be an avenue toward satisfaction in the fight against tinnitus.

Speaking with a licensed counselor about your symptoms and the distress they cause may be a fitting first step toward feeling better. Being sick in any way is not fun, and it can be very isolating. A professional can help you build personalized ways to help persevere through difficult moments.

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