These really are unprecedented times, it’s not just the COVID-19 pandemic but it’s all the unknowns this pandemic brings.
As individuals we all respond differently when faced with the unknown.
How are you responding?
Some people need to feel or think they are doing something. They can be hungry for more and more information, so much so, their craving can lead to a creation of an echo chamber of disturbing information, providing a constant feed of COVID-19 deaths, new cases and bleak economic outlooks from recession to depression.
Broadly speaking there are three cohorts:
The first have a desire to do more, so they feel they are taking action. The global approach to this was illogical, as this played out in related to toilet roll. The purchase of vast amounts of toilet roll didn’t provide any greater protection to the invisible monster of COVID-19 but it made some people feel better.
Why??? Well maybe they felt they were doing something!
The second group, in the face of this uncertainty, decide to go with the approach of ‘sticking your head in the sand’.
They don’t watch the news, listen to the radio or even engage with social media. They don’t want the details because if they ignore it then maybe it’s not really happening.
The third group, faced with this level of uncertainty are not sure how to respond. One way to describe this cohort is the “deer in the headlights” So a group of us just don’t know what to do!
Do we stay at home?
Do we go out?
Whatever we do, we feel pretty helpless.
However you respond to this unimaginable demon of COVID, living with this level of uncertainty increases our stress and anxiety levels.
Our amygdala plays a central role in our anxiety and feeling stressed. The amygdala is best known for its fear processing ability. The amygdala is a collection of nuclei found deep within the temporal lobe in our brain. The term amygdala comes from Latin and translates to “almond,” because one of the most prominent nuclei of the amygdala has an almond-like shape.
Unfortunately anxiety can make your tinnitus worse. An article published in the American journal of audiology showed that 36% of tinnitus sufferers reported that their tinnitus becomes worse when they experienced anxiety or stress.
https://pubs.asha.org/doi/abs/10.1044/2015_AJA-15-0020
Self-care is critical for everyone during these challenging times, but it’s even more important if you suffer from tinnitus.
The challenge is compounded when we have restrictions on how we engage with our loved ones, particularly when we can’t even go to our local gym, cinema, favourite pub or restaurant.
We encourage self-care. The above study found that 15% of tinnitus suffers felt their tinnitus improved while they relaxed. The importance of knowing what helps you relax during these trying times is really essential, even if it’s just going for a walk in the fresh air.
We also know it’s even more difficult to access services from your trusted health professions. As a result, we are providing free access to our very own doctor, ENT specialist Dr. JC Hodge. We have also engaged with our trusted partner ‘My Hearing’ so you can access more services on line.
Critically at Tinnitus Treatment your tinnitus management doesn’t require any face to face consultations. You can teach your brain to ignore your tinnitus in the comfort of your own home. But in these unprecedented times we are going to provide you even more support.
So during this pandemic we are offering a 30 day free trial. We are confident offering this as initial data analysis shows that 9 out of 10 users experience improvements in their tinnitus after just 4 weeks of listening to their personalised treatment plan. We want to do our bit in the fight against Coronovirus.
Our co-founder Dr John Charles Hodge is now available for you so you can ask him any questions relating to your tinnitus. Every week Dr JC Hodge is taking time out of his busy hospital commitments and is live on Facebook waiting for your questions to be posted in the comments section so he can answer them.
www.facebook.com/tinnitustreatment.com.au
We are also delighted that ‘My Hearing’, another South Australian leading organisation has introduced free on line hearing tests. https://www.myhearingcentre.com.au/hearing-tests/free-online-hearing-check/
Stay safe and well and tune into to Facebook to chat to our own dedicated Ear, Nose & Throat Medical Specialist Dr JC Hodge.
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