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As some of you may know, I have suffered tinnitus for the last 10 years. On top of tinnitus occurring more frequently in deaf people, I sustained a brain injury when I was 12 years young.

Until recently, I did little to track my daily habits to see what was setting off my tinnitus. Ringing in my head (some people say ears) varies with seasons and time of day, so obviously there are external factors influencing frequency and severity of tinnitus. Tracking daily habits, I hoped, would reveal patterns.

I started recording what I ate each day, and rated my tinnitus “loudness” on a scale of 0 to 10 three times a day. Almost immediately, I noticed a pattern of increased loudness around noon time. It would start approximately an hour before lunch and continue for about an hour following eating lunch.

Upon this observation, it was clear that I needed to eat earlier lunches, or snack more heavily between breakfast and lunch, to supplement my high metabolism.

It was middle of the second week that I expanded on this observation I may be going to bed with a stomach that left me hungry in the morning. My usual bowl of cereal wasn’t enough to stave it off leaving me dangerously hungry come lunchtime. I thought of eating a small snack before going to bed. Maybe a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. What food is there that I can eat before bed that doesn’t contribute to weight gain?

Another light bulb lit above my head. “Eat more in the morning before tinnitus kicks in.” *Another light bulb*. “Protein makes you feel fuller for longer.” So then I began an experiment: eat more in the morning, and make sure it included protein. What kind of experiment requires you to eat more? A good one.

I have had scrambled eggs, cereal, banana and an occasional protein shake for the last few mornings. Very little or no tinnitus. I notice my tinnitus going up slightly if I let myself go hungry especially so in the mornings.

As it turns out, eating more is not a weight concern because I’m less hungry in the afternoon. My body is well-stocked with protein nourished earlier in the morning. Who knows, I may be eating less overall.

I’ve read in more than one place that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, the portion equaling that of dinner. But little did I know it would help combat tinnitus. In my case.

It’s my opinion that this “treatment” may not apply to every tinnitus sufferer. I think that people suffer from tinnitus for varying reasons. As it reads in Wikipedia, “Tinnitus is not itself a disease but a symptom resulting from a range of underlying causes.”. My case is reinforced by the fact not only am I a deaf brain injury survivor–but more importantly suffered digestive problems when I was an infant. This probably plays a large role in my high metabolism and less-than-perfect digestive system, which, in relation to my deafness, ignites my tinnitus.

There is hope. Record your daily habits. Notice patterns. Try different things. Live and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Eat well. Sleep well. Exercise well. De-stress well.

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Posted on May 5th, 2008 by tayler