Stress and Tinnitus: Causes, Symptoms and Management

Can Stress Cause Tinnitus?

Too much stress over a long period of time can regularly restrict blood flow—and therefore oxygen travelling in the blood cells—to the cochlea located in the inner ear past the ear drum.

The cochlea is responsible for sending vibrations caused by sound and converting them into signals to the brain.

Prolonged stress from work, emotional trauma or lack of sleep can make the brain more sensitive to sounds. The cochlea is having to work harder, and will create a ringing sound when it’s relatively quiet.

Why Does Tinnitus Get Worse When You’re Stressed?

The fight-or-flight mode in all of us makes tinnitus worse with stress, which is caused by cortisol and adrenaline increasing the awareness of all internal sounds. Blood flow is also restricted which affects the cochlea, as previously mentioned above.

Stress makes tinnitus louder and vice versa: Anxiety can trigger tinnitus, which in turn can increase anxiety creating a feedback loop.

Stress can even cause hyperacusis which lowers our audible tolerance, meaning we’re more likely to hear a sound whether it’s near us or even inside our head.

Not only does stress increase the likelihood of hearing a ringing in your ears, but this can cause loss of sleep which results in more stress and tinnitus.

Managing Stress-Related Tinnitus

Tinnitus management involves relaxation techniques and possible diet changes to reduce the focus on internal sounds and lower blood pressure.

Below are some tips on how to reduce tinnitus naturally:

Stress Reduction Techniques

1. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT): Often used for depression, anxiety, PTSD, OCD, this technique reduces stress by focusing on the present, positivity and learning new skills.
2. Mindfulness and breathing exercises: Similar to CBT, mindfulness has become all the rage for dealing with the natural highs and lows of life. Focusing on deep breathing, relaxing muscles and even yoga, mindfulness can be a very powerful stress-reduction technique.
3. Regular physical activity: This can reduce stress by releasing endorphines that occur through most forms of exercise, also helping at night with better quality sleep and being able to fall asleep quicker.
4. Balanced diet and caffeine reduction: Eating the correct amount of fruit and veg with minimal caffeine will manage blood pressure and stress automatically while you focus on another technique.

Protecting Your Hearing

Hearing loss can cause tinnitus, so ensure that you’re looking after your hearing using the tips below.

• Reduce exposure to loud environments to avoid lasting damage.
• Using ear protection such as ear defenders or ear plugs on worksites, concerts or anywhere that you need to stay.
• Avoid using headphones for longer than an hour. Use the 60/60 rule for no more than 60% volume for 60 minutes. If you can’t hear enough at 60% then book a hearing test to find out why.

Hearing Aids and Sound Therapy

If none of the techniques above help, you may need further help from a professional.

• Hearing aids can reduce tinnitus by putting less strain on the cochlea, to hear sounds that it always used to. Giving the cochlea a helping hand to hear everyday sounds, can allow it to relax which in turn less sensitive.
• Masking tinnitus with white noise, can help to produce a sound for the cochlea to use for sending signals to the brain, instead of creating its own resulting in tinnitus.
• Sound therapy involves instruments such as gongs, to produce a relaxing environment to reduce stress and provide the cochlea something to work with. This can either take place at home or in groups.

Professional Support

If none of these techniques help, you may need to see a professional.

They can help in the following ways:

• A hearing assessment to truly get to the bottom of your issue and provide a solution.
• Personalised tinnitus management plans to take home and work on in your own time.

When to Seek Help With Tinnitus

You may wonder when to see an audiologist for tinnitus, if you have suddenly developed the issue without a history of hearing loss issues.

Here are a few reasons why you should see an audiologist.

If you experience any of these symptoms, seek help straight away.

• Persistent ringing lasting more than a few weeks.
• Sudden hearing loss.
• Tinnitus with dizziness or pain.
• Impact on mental wellbeing.

Booking a Tinnitus Consultation

Hearing loss can also be a cause of tinnitus, where the brain is working harder to hear the same sounds, putting extra strain on the cochlea which can create a sound when there aren’t any to hear.

If you would like to get to the bottom of your tinnitus and find a solution, call 01179 012526 or send a message on our Contact page.

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