When you are living with tinnitus, it can be challenging to manage this condition. The constant ringing, buzzing, hissing, clicking, or swooshing sounds are enough to drive most people insane, especially since the person affected is the only one who can hear these sounds. A common health condition without a cure, living an everyday life with tinnitus might seem like it’s impossible, but there are ways to cope.

If you live with tinnitus and are looking for ways to cope, here are some helpful tips that may help give you some relief.

1. While it may seem like a difficult feat or an impossible task, do your best to limit your stress levels. Being stressed out can make your tinnitus symptoms worse, so stay positive and use relaxation techniques such as walking or meditation.

2. To help prevent your tinnitus from getting worse, avoid situations that might further damage your hearing. This means wearing ear protection every time you are exposed to loud noises and limiting your technological devices’ volume.

3. Stimulates such as alcohol, tea, coffee, soda, and tobacco may worsen your tinnitus symptoms, so it’s best to watch what you intake. Because of this, avoid ingesting anything that can negatively affect your nervous system.

4. When you are at home, or whenever you can, have some background noise to help drown out or take your attention away from your tinnitus symptoms. This could be in the form of music, a fan, or even a sound machine.

5. Getting a good night’s sleep may be difficult with tinnitus, but it can make your tinnitus symptoms worse if you are exhausted. So try your best to get plenty of sleep each night. If you find you are having problems sleeping, try sleeping with your head in an elevated position.

6. Smoking can make your tinnitus symptoms worse, so if you smoke, kick the habit. Besides acting as a stimulant, which can make the ringing in your ears worse, it can also affect blood flow to the nerve cells that control hearing.