Vestibular rehabilitation research indicates moderate to strong evidence that vestibular rehabilitation is a safe, effective management for unilateral peripheral vestibular dysfunction, as summarized in a Cochrane Database Systematic Review.
It is not uncommon for tinnitus to accompany hearing loss and some vestibular conditions, like Meniere’s disease.
Though there are no cures for tinnitus, there are therapeutic approaches that provide relief and help manage these conditions. You can meet with an audiologist to discuss what could be causing the condition, ways to address it, medical referrals and other specialized testing.
For general information on hearing loss, I recommend information provided by the Hear the World Foundation.
There are an increasing number of meditation applications available that can help you manage stress.
People often ask me if stress can cause their conditions. It is clear to me in working with facial palsy patients that stress alone will not cause a condition but certainly can lay the foundation for it to occur.
Since I started working with facial palsy patients in 1986, I have certainly noticed that Bell’s palsy and Ramsay Hunt syndrome often occur at times of high stress.
Many people will learn from their condition. They change their ways or listen to their body’s messages more carefully. I recently met with someone who used meditation to help control his symptoms. Meditation is now practiced by many people in their everyday lives. Several applications are available that I often recommend to people who are interested in reducing stress and bringing more balance into their lives. One example is called “Simply Being“.
Smiling is one of the most important human expressions. Many people with facial palsies tell me they have trouble smiling and that regaining a smile is their number one goal. It seems like smiling takes a lot of effort and still doesn’t go where you want it to go. There is a muscle inside your cheek, called the buccinator muscle. It is not a muscle of facial expression, rather its job is to hold food between the teeth and your cheek while you chew. For some reason, it becomes tightened and shortened and then stops the smile muscles from doing their job. With specific stretches and retraining strategies you can achieve a better smile with less effort.
