For people who don’t have tinnitus, there aren’t many conditions more difficult to understand. The problem with tinnitus is that if you are not afflicted with it, you won’t see, feel, or hear the symptoms in the same way you would other conditions.

But for the almost 50 million Americans who suffer from some form of tinnitus, the problem is very real and is often very difficult to manage. Ringing in the ears is the best classification of tinnitus, but the American Tinnitus Association says, it can present sufferers with whistling, hissing, swooshing, clicking, and buzzing. Maybe the most discouraging part of tinnitus is that these noises aren’t detectable by others, which can lead to confusion, disorientation, depression and delayed diagnosis.

The number is truly astonishing when you consider that 15 percent of the general public suffers from tinnitus. A report put out by the U.S. Center for Disease Control says that 2 million of those people experience symptoms that are debilitating and extreme while another 20 million have what’s known as burdensome and chronic tinnitus.

There’s a common link between loss of hearing and tinnitus, which is why people often turn to hearing aids to augment their hearing and to drown out the ringing. While a hearing aid has proven to be a reliable method of reducing the symptoms associated with tinnitus, there are behavioral changes you can make to minimize the ringing.

If you have tinnitus here are 10 things to avoid:

• Alcohol; Your cholesterol and heart health can be positively affected by drinking a small glass of wine each day, or so the old saying goes. But with regards to alcohol and tinnitus, you can have too much of a good thing. Drinking too much alcohol increases your blood pressure, which makes the ringing more evident for many people.
• Harmful blood pressure levels; If you want to keep your tinnitus under control you should keep track of your blood pressure which can also help protect you from other ailments. It’s significant to note that both high and low blood pressure levels can worsen tinnitus, so you should be persistent about routinely checking your blood pressure.
• Poor sleeping habits; When mom said you should get your eight hours of sleep every night, she wasn’t joking. Getting a sufficient amount of sleep can help you to avoid tinnitus triggers and also offers a wide array of other health benefits.
• Certain medicines; Certain medications like aspirin, as an example, are good at decreasing pain but they could also induce tinnitus. Tinnitus can also be impacted by other medication such as prescription cancer drugs or antibiotics. But before you stop taking a medication that was prescribed by your doctor, you should get a consultation.
• Caffeine; Here’s another influencer of blood pressure that can cause a spike in levels. You might also find that too much caffeine changes your sleeping habits.
• Smoking; Your blood pressure can definitely be harmed by smoking. Also, it can make the tinnitus worse by shrinking the blood vessels to the ears.
• Excess earwax; There’s no doubting that earwax is helpful in the grand scheme of how your ears work. But actually dirt is trapped and our ears are protected by this gunk that we hate. Even so, tinnitus can get worse if too much wax builds up. To make sure it doesn’t build up to a dangerous amount, your doctor can clean some of it out and help with prevention.
• Infections; Since a lingering cold can quickly turn into a sinus infection there has always been commentary about the need to find a cure for it. Infections in both the ears and sinus have been known to intensify tinnitus, so be certain you’re doing everything you can to limit your exposure to infections.
• Jaw issues; If you’re having jaw pain, you should already be contacting a doctor, but particularly if you also have tinnitus. Relieving jaw pain may have some impact on your tinnitus because the jaw and ears share nerves and ligaments.
• Loud noises; It may be obvious but the noises you’re hearing internally can be made worse by loud sounds. If a situation appears where you will be exposed to loud sounds, be careful. This includes construction sites, concerts, and loud restaurants. Think about shielding your ears with earplugs if you can’t steer clear of the noise. Earplugs can be particularly helpful for individuals whose job involves working around loud machinery.

You can take back your life and regulate your tinnitus symptoms even though there is no official cure. Give these 10 suggestions a try, and you may be pleasantly surprised with the improvements in your symptoms and your overall health. If these don’t help, make an appointment with a hearing care professional.