As the owner of Pro Ears, I’ve always been deeply committed to providing you, our valued customer, with the highest quality hearing protection. We understand the critical importance of safeguarding your hearing in loud environments. However, my concern for your auditory well-being extends beyond preventing hearing loss. I recently had a conversation with my nephew, a certified hypnotherapist, about a subject I knew very little and mostly thought of as a bit woo woo, hypnotherapy as a treatment for tinnitus. I am very familiar with tinnitus from family members, friends and a lot of customers. I have done a fair amount of reading on the subject and am familiar with root causes, lack of treatment etc. That persistent ringing, buzzing, or other sounds in the ears or head when no external sound is present can go from annoying to totally debilitating. We even offer a white noise generator in our Pro fit custom ear plugs that helps some people, but not all, mask the problem to provide some relief. So, when my nephew started to educate me on another approach I was all ears.

This conversation sparked my curiosity to understand if/how hypnotherapy might offer a path to relief for those of us living with this often frustrating condition. There is a surprising amount of literature out there on the subject but in my opinion, none of it definitive, but it is informative. Ultimately you need to make your own decision but I thought it worthwhile to write this post for those of you who are interested.

 

A Deeper Understanding of Tinnitus

If you or someone you know suffers from ringing in the ear you probably already know that tinnitus, while often associated with hearing loss, isn’t a disease itself but rather a symptom with a variety of potential causes. These can include aging, exposure to loud noise, medical conditions, and even stress and anxiety. He emphasized a crucial point: the distress caused by tinnitus is often closely linked to emotional responses like fear and anxiety. Believe it or not, we all experience tinnitus sometimes, but our brains usually filter these sounds out. This process is called habituation, where our nervous system reduces its response to repeated sensory stimulation.

He explained that when tinnitus becomes persistent and bothersome, it’s often because negative emotions have become strongly associated with the sound. This creates a loop where the sound triggers anxiety, which in turn makes us focus more on the sound, further increasing our distress. So far, this all made sense to me.

 

The Potential of Hypnotherapy for Tinnitus Management

My nephew explained that hypnosis can be a tool for desensitization and retraining associated reactions. The goal isn’t necessarily to eliminate the sound entirely (though that can happen for some), but to change your relationship with it so that it no longer triggers negative emotions and can fade into the background of your awareness through habituation. This is where I had some doubts.

He outlined a typical approach to hypnotherapy for tinnitus, which often involves:

  • Initial Assessment: Understanding the specifics of your tinnitus and how it impacts your life.

  • Induction and Deepening: Guiding you into a relaxed state using techniques like progressive relaxation and guided imagery.

  • Ego-Strengthening: Reinforcing your ability to cope with and manage your perception of the tinnitus.

  • Targeted Suggestions: Helping you shift your focus away from the tinnitus sound by incorporating pleasant imagery and alternative auditory focus points.

  • Self-Hypnosis Training: Providing you with tools and recordings to practice self-hypnosis at home to reinforce the therapy’s effects.

OK, even if this does not resolve the tinnitus issue it may have other benefits so it would not be a waste of a person’s time. It was time to dig in to see what others were saying about hypnotherapy and see if there was any solid research on the subject. What I found is there is some good research out there that is not definitive, but encouraging.

 

What the Research Suggests

What I found is there is a growing body of research on hypnotherapy for tinnitus. I was encouraged to learn about studies that have shown promising results:

  • One study found that a significant number of patients learned to disregard their tinnitus within a month after a single hypnosis session followed by daily self-hypnosis practice.

  • Another study reported that a high percentage of participants using self-hypnosis experienced complete tinnitus disappearance during treatment sessions, with lasting improvements in their overall symptoms.

  • Research on Ericksonian hypnosis demonstrated significant reductions in Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) scores, indicating a substantial improvement in the impact of tinnitus on individuals’ lives.

  • Studies suggest that hypnotherapy can be as effective as or even more effective than other treatments like masking, attentiveness exercises, and even cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) alone for some individuals.

At this point I want to be sure you understand that I claim no expertise nor do I make recommendations and thebased on my research the results can vary depending on the individual and the specifics of their tinnitus. However, the research offers a compelling case for exploring hypnotherapy as a non-invasive, drug-free option.

 

Pro Ears: Caring for Your Hearing, Holistically

At Pro Ears, our primary focus remains on providing you with the best possible hearing protection to prevent noise-induced hearing loss. We believe in empowering you to protect your hearing in loud environments. As we all know, there are times when the unexpected happens and we end up with damage to our hearing. Most of the time it is short lived but unfortunately sometimes it is permanent. I remain committed to learning as much about treatment as I do about prevention.

Learning about the potential of hypnotherapy to help manage the distress associated with tinnitus reinforces our commitment to your overall auditory well-being. I do not recommend any particular practitioner but I do try to bring awareness to this promising approach and encourage you to explore all available avenues for relief.

If you are experiencing tinnitus, I strongly recommend consulting with a medical doctor, such as an ENT or Otolaryngologist, for a thorough evaluation to rule out any underlying medical conditions. Once medical causes have been addressed, hypnotherapy, guided by a certified professional, might be a valuable tool to help you change your relationship with the sound and improve your quality of life.

If you’re interested in learning more about hypnotherapy for tinnitus, I encourage you to seek out qualified professionals in your area. You might be surprised by the positive impact it could have on your life. If you are interested in talking to my nephew you can contact him via his website: jasonshivers.com. He will be happy to provide more information.