Can Stress Cause Tinnitus?

According to the American Tinnitus Association, over 50 million Americans suffer from tinnitus. Tinnitus is a frustrating condition that can leave one feeling overly stressed. But did you know that stress can lead to the development of tinnitus in the first place? It’s a vicious circle that can be hard to break free from.

What Is Tinnitus?

Tinnitus is an audiological and neurological disorder in which a person hears a noise that no one else can hear. For those suffering from tinnitus, the noise that is perceived has no external source. Some hear a loud, high-pitched ringing in both ears all the time. Others might hear a soft clicking sound that comes and goes. The noise is unique to each person and varies in the type of sound (buzzing, ringing, hissing, clicking, pulsing, etc.), pitch, loudness, and regularity.

What Causes Tinnitus?

Tinnitus does not develop by itself, but rather is a condition that’s caused by other underlying health issues. For most sufferers, tinnitus is a symptom that arises from hearing loss. However, there are hundreds of other medical conditions that can lead to tinnitus. Some of the more common conditions include middle ear obstructions, trauma to the head, neck, or brain, TMJ (Temporomandibular Joint Disorder), and sinus pressure. Another common medical condition that can lead to tinnitus is stress. Yes, you read that right. Stress is one of the many possible causes for tinnitus.

How Can Stress Cause Tinnitus?

Everyone feels “stressed out” from time to time. However, stress should always be temporary. Stress that is frequent or chronic can be mentally and physically harmful. There are three different types of stress: acute stress, episodic acute stress, and chronic stress.

• Acute Stress

This type of stress is brief and temporary. Examples of situations that cause acute stress are when you ride a roller coaster, when you barely escape a car accident, or when you must meet a tight deadline.

• Episodic Acute Stress

As the name implies, this type of stress is characterized by frequent episodes of acute stress. Professions that have frequent episodes of acute stress are firefighting and law enforcement. Episodic acute stress can also result when you take on too many responsibilities, have too many demands on your time, or worry too much.

• Chronic Stress

This type of stress is long-term and is the most harmful. Examples of situations that cause chronic stress are long-term poverty, substance abuse, an unhappy marriage, a poor work environment, or unemployment.

Negative Effects of Stress

When you experience stress, your body’s initial reaction is to release hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol throughout the body. These hormones help prepare the body against whatever it perceives as a threat. However, too much of a good thing can be bad. Frequent adrenaline surges can cause, among other things, damaged blood vessels, high blood pressure, headaches, and anxiety. Elevated levels of cortisol can cause, among other things, high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes, and osteoporosis. Frequent adrenaline surges and elevated cortisol levels can have another negative effect on the body: tinnitus. The exact pathophysiology is still unknown, but the link between stress and tinnitus is well documented.

Ways to Relieve Your Stress

Stress is one of many, many possible causes for tinnitus. Stress is also known to cause tinnitus to worsen over time. Fortunately, improvements in your stress can lead to improvements in your tinnitus. The following list describes common methods used to relieve stress. These methods can also be used to relieve other negative emotions associated with tinnitus (i.e., anxiety, depression, anger, etc.).

Counseling

Patients are strongly advised to receive counseling of some sort to treat their tinnitus. Tinnitus retraining therapy (TRT) and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) are two types of counseling used for tinnitus. These two therapies both work towards removing unhelpful behaviors or thoughts that worsen tinnitus.

Relaxation Techniques

One can set aside a short amount of time each day to perform a relaxation technique. Relaxation techniques can also be used whenever one is feeling exceptionally stressed, anxious, or depressed. A few relaxation techniques include muscle relaxation exercises, breathing exercises, visualization exercises, and meditation. Another relaxation technique is doing a hobby in which one can relax. Examples include writing, drawing, painting, and yoga.

Sound Therapy

Sound therapy refers to the use of therapeutic sounds and/or noise with the goal of either masking your tinnitus, or retraining your brain to ignore your tinnitus. Sound therapy is most effective when delivered through ear-level devices or hearing aids for tinnitus. Masking your tinnitus is especially useful for bedtime when tinnitus can distract one from sleeping. You can use a sound machine, fan, radio, or phone app to find the right noise for masking.

Healthy Diet

The most important task in achieving a stress-free, healthy diet is to eliminate alcohol, smoking, and junk food from your lifestyle. Other recommendations include eating regularly, eating a balanced diet, and eating foods high in Omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. It’s also interesting to note that your tinnitus may seem louder on days where you eat or drink dietary stimulants that raise adrenaline levels in the body (coffee, chocolate, tea, etc.).

Exercise

You don’t have to become a professional athlete to combat tinnitus. Any exercise regime, whether it be a short walk or a trip to the gym every day, will help you feel better about yourself as well as help you sleep. This leads to a reduction in stress.

Good Sleep Practices

Sleeping too little or too much can lead to higher levels of stress, anxiety, frustration, and depression. To achieve a proper sleep (roughly 7 to 9 hours each night), one must have good sleep practices. Good sleep practices include going to bed and waking up at consistent times and getting off devices 30 minutes before bedtime.

Treating Yourself

For some people, all it takes to reduce their stress levels is to take some time for themselves. This time is for doing something enjoyable. Examples include spending time with friends or family, going for a long walk, taking a vacation, or learning a new hobby.

Drug Therapy

Antidepressants and antianxiety medication can be used to treat the stress, depression, and anxiety associated with tinnitus.

Is Stress Causing Your Tinnitus?

Do you suspect your tinnitus is caused by too much stress? First, it’s important to recognize the symptoms of episodic acute stress and chronic stress:

• Anxiety
• Frustration
• Depression
• Feeling overwhelmed
• Difficulty concentrating
• Fatigue
• Feeling tense
• High blood pressure
• Disrupted sleep / insomnia
• Headaches
• Weight gain

If you experience the symptoms listed above, you may be experiencing frequent or chronic stress. But is it causing your tinnitus? Try to mitigate your stress by using the stress-relief methods discussed in this article. If you notice an improvement in your tinnitus once your stress has lessened, it’s a good assumption that stress has caused your tinnitus.

Why Visit an Audiologist?

It’s always important to consult a healthcare professional rather than relying on your own self-diagnoses. A healthcare professional will be able to assess your tinnitus, review medical history, conduct necessary tests, and determine what underlying condition may be causing your tinnitus. An audiologist is an example of a healthcare professional that can be consulted. Some added benefits to consulting an audiologist are that an audiologist can also do the following:

1. Provide additional resources and coping strategies for dealing with tinnitus
2. Conduct tinnitus sound matching to replicate the sound, pitch, and loudness of your tinnitus. This gives a benchmark for which to compare against over time.
3. Find the minimum masking level for your tinnitus. The minimum masking level is the minimum volume that an external noise masks, or “covers up,” your tinnitus. It’s another piece of information to use when monitoring the progression of your tinnitus.

Tinnitus is a serious medical condition that can drastically affect one’s quality of life. If you (or a loved one) suffer from tinnitus, visit an audiologist to get the support you need. If you or your audiologist believe your tinnitus is caused by stress, know that there are methods to ease your suffering.

References:

1. “3 Types of Stress and Health Hazards.” Jan. 17, 2018. Accessed July 17, 2022.
2. American Tinnitus Association. Accessed July 13, 2022.
3. Attune Hearing Pty Ltd. “Tinnitus and Anxiety: 6 Coping Techniques to Help You Deal with Ringing Ears.” Accessed July 14, 2022.
4. British Tinnitus Association. Accessed July 14, 2022.
5. Ciminelli, Patricia et. al. “Tinnitus: The Sound of Stress?” Clinical Practice and Epidemiology in Mental Health, vol. 14, Oct. 2018, pp. 264-269. doi: 10.2174/1745017901814010264.
6. Healthline.com. “Everything You Need to Know About Stress.” Feb. 25, 2020. Accessed July 17, 2022.