Mike Malusevic:
The first step is to acknowledge
that it’s real, and that is a huge
step for some people. Because once
they open the door to acknowledging
that it’s real, then they can start
trying to get some help for it. But,
before that, they’re just very
frustrated.
The second thing I think you
could do is just understand that
it’s stressful to the person with
tinnitus. They’re hearing this
sound that no one else is hearing
and you might be trying to
communicate with them. You might be
trying to do something with them and
they’re very focused on the
irritating sound. And it can be very
stressful and it can change
someone’s mood infinitely. So if you
understand that, then you can work
on ways around it or ways to help
that person.
You don’t want someone with
tinnitus in a completely noisy
environment; but on the other hand,
you don’t want to be in an
environment that’s completely and
totally quiet, because then all they
hear is that sound and they’re
focusing on it.
One of the biggest problems that
patients tell us they have is going
to sleep at night because all
they’re hearing is that sound.
That’s when the masking aspect to
tinnitus comes into play. There are
all sorts of different sounds you
can have playing in the background
that can cancel that sound out and
kind of help them sleep. Our Web
site, www.ata.org, has so much
information to help your loved one
deal with tinnitus.
Gary Barg:
What is the one most important piece
of information that you would like
to share with a family caregiver
about dealing with tinnitus?
Mike Malusevic:
The most important thing is to take
a little time to understand the
condition, so you can tailor your
caregiving skills to the needs of
that person. They’re misunderstood
and in a scary place. But, if you
have knowledge of it and you can
create an environment that will help
them, it will help you give better
care. It will take down their stress
level. And if you can reduce their
stress by understanding and creating
this environment, then you can do a
lot for them.
