Tinnitus is the experience of sound with no outside source: ringing, hissing, buzzing or humming. For many people it is a background nuisance. For some it is relentless, affecting sleep, concentration and mood. Hypnotherapists often advertise help for it, sometimes quoting a 70 per cent success rate. The evidence is more modest than that.
What the research shows
A review of hypnosis for tinnitus concluded that it provides a benefit in some people, but that it is not yet clear how that benefit compares with mainstream approaches. The authors noted that hypnosis for tinnitus had been discussed for more than thirty years with little formal research, and that the widely quoted 70 per cent figure appears in promotional material, not in rigorous trials.
One of the larger studies followed 393 patients through a 28-day inpatient programme in Germany built on Ericksonian hypnosis, and reported improvements on standard tinnitus and quality-of-life questionnaires. But it was a multi-part programme, so hypnosis cannot be given the credit alone.
A more recent narrative review described the hypnosis studies as often outdated, with preliminary benefits that were inconsistent and poorly sustained.
So: possibly helpful for some, under-researched, and not proven.
Why it might help
A key finding in tinnitus research is that how loud the sound is matters less than how the brain reacts to it. Two people can have tinnitus that measures the same and be affected completely differently.
Distress follows a loop. The sound is noticed, judged to be a threat, and monitored. Monitoring makes it more noticeable, which raises anxiety, which sharpens attention further. The aim of treatment is habituation: the brain learning to file the sound as unimportant, as it does with the hum of a fridge.
Hypnosis might help by:
- Lowering arousal and stress, which make tinnitus more intrusive
- Moving attention away from the sound
- Changing its meaning, from threat to neutral background
- Improving sleep, which is often the worst part
- Restoring a sense of control
What it cannot do
Hypnosis does not repair hearing or switch off the signal. A practitioner who promises to cure or eliminate tinnitus is overselling. The realistic goal is that it bothers you less.
Techniques
- Relaxation, since tension and tinnitus feed each other
- The volume dial: imagining a control and turning the sound down or into the distance
- Masking imagery: blending the sound into rain, waves or wind
- Reframing: “the sound is there, and it does not matter”
- Attention training: deliberately moving focus to other sounds and sensations
- Sleep suggestions and a bedtime recording
What has stronger support
UK guidance recommends, for tinnitus-related distress:
- Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), which has the best evidence for reducing distress
- Sound therapy and sound enrichment, such as low-level background sound
- Hearing aids, where there is hearing loss
- Information and tinnitus support, which itself reduces fear
Hypnosis is best seen as a possible addition to these, particularly for relaxation and sleep.
See a doctor first
Have tinnitus assessed before trying self-help. See a doctor promptly if:
- It is in one ear only
- It pulses in time with your heartbeat
- It came on suddenly, or with sudden hearing loss
- It comes with dizziness, or weakness in the face
- It is causing severe distress or thoughts of self-harm
A self-hypnosis routine
- Sit or lie comfortably with soft background sound on.
- Breathe slowly and relax your body from head to toe.
- Notice the tinnitus without fighting it.
- Imagine a dial showing its volume. Slowly turn it down a notch or two, or picture the sound moving further away.
- Let it blend into the background sound, like one instrument among many.
- Tell yourself: “The sound is just a sound. My attention is free to go elsewhere.”
- Move your attention to your breathing, then to another sound in the room.
- Count from one to five and open your eyes, or drift into sleep.
Everyday help
- Avoid complete silence; keep gentle sound around you.
- Protect your hearing from loud noise.
- Look after sleep and stress.
- Go easy on caffeine and alcohol if they make it worse for you.
- Contact a tinnitus charity for information and support.
The bottom line
Hypnosis will not silence tinnitus. It may help you relax, sleep and pay it less attention, and for some people that is a real improvement. Use it alongside the treatments with stronger evidence.
Next in the series: Hypnosis for Trauma and PTSD: Promise and Caution
This article is for general information and is not medical advice.