Hearing Loss and Mental Health
How hearing loss or damage can affect your mental well-being
Are you experiencing unpleasant ringing, buzzing, or other noises in your ears? Learn more about tinnitus symptoms, causes, treatment, and how to find relief.
Tinnitus is a condition where you experience ringing, buzzing, or other noises in one or both ears.
Primary tinnitus is when you perceive a sound that has no external source. People often describe it as a ringing in the ears, but it can show up as other noises as well. Even though it sounds like it’s in your ear, the perceived sound might be coming from your brain. Tinnitus is typically associated with hearing loss and exposure to loud noises. So, the phantom sounds could be the result of your brain trying to compensate for missing auditory signals.
Secondary tinnitus isn’t a phantom sound made in the brain. Instead, it’s the result of a vibration coming from elsewhere in the body. The source could be anything from muscles and joints to blood flow.
Whether it’s primary or secondary, the intrusive noise of tinnitus can impact your well-being in all sorts of ways. It can disrupt your sleep, robbing you of a good night’s rest. It can also reduce your concentration. Having a constant ringing or buzzing sound in your head can make it harder for you to focus on work, retain information, or even hear yourself think.
Tinnitus can also have a negative effect on your social life. You might have a harder time understanding what others are saying over the noise in your head, or withdraw from social situations altogether. You may feel a growing sense of despair over the persistence of the condition. Or frequently feel irritable, frustrated, or despairing as you can’t ever seem to turn the sound off.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, people with tinnitus tend to have higher rates of depression and anxiety, as well as lower self-esteem and quality of life. You might feel especially discouraged when you visit a doctor only to be told there is no tinnitus cure.
As overwhelming as it may seem to have this constant noise in your head, know that the situation isn’t hopeless. No matter how loud and intrusive the sound may seem, there are ways to ease the discomfort, reduce the impact, and even lower the volume of tinnitus.
Typically, tinnitus is described as a “ringing” sound. However, it can be buzzing, hissing, whistling, or many other sounds. For one person, it might sound like a cricket’s chirp, and for someone else it might be a humming or the whistling of a kettle. It can also involve multiple sounds that seem to overlap. In rare cases, the phantom sound might even be a musical hallucination—hearing music when none is actually playing.
Primary tinnitus sounds can vary in the following ways:
Perceived source. Tinnitus might sound like it’s coming from one ear or both. It can also be asymmetrical, louder in one ear than the other.
Quality. The sound might fluctuate. It can be perceived to be louder or quieter on occasion, or perhaps the pitch changes.
Duration. For some people, tinnitus is an intermittent issue. It occurs for a few minutes each week but eventually subsides. For others, it’s a constant issue. It may be masked by other sounds in your daily life, but you can hear it anytime you’re in a quiet room. If your symptoms last more than three months, you might be diagnosed with chronic tinnitus.
Reactivity. Tinnitus can be reactive. It may seem louder after you spend time in a noisy area. Other circumstances can also seem to turn up the volume. For example, stress and sleep deprivation can make it louder. Substances may also play a role. Anything from alcohol, caffeine, and tobacco to salty foods and chocolate may exacerbate the condition.
When it comes to secondary tinnitus, the sound might vary depending on the underlying cause.
Researchers don’t know the exact cause of tinnitus. Sometimes, it can even occur in short bursts for seemingly no reason.
However, tinnitus is often associated with the following causes:
Tinnitus affects 10 to 25 percent of adults, and it appears to be more common in men than women. Its prevalence and severity tend to increase with age.
Not everyone who has hearing loss experiences tinnitus. But it is an important risk factor. It’s more common in people who have a history of working in loud environments (think airports, construction sites, or military bases). It’s also more common in people who have hobbies that involve loud noises, such as going to concerts, using power tools, or recreational shooting.
The risk of developing tinnitus is also higher in people who:
Although there’s no cure for tinnitus, there are many ways to lower the volume and manage the discomfort.
Start by seeing a doctor who can rule out treatable causes. Next, take precautions to protect your hearing, look for ways to mask the current tinnitus, and identify any triggers that seem to make it worse. Finally, you can explore ways to manage your stress levels, which will improve your emotional well-being and possibly even reduce tinnitus.
Keep in mind that none of these are one-size-fits-all solutions. You’ll need to be patient and willing to experiment in order to find an approach that offers you reliable tinnitus relief.
About 90 percent of people with tinnitus also have a degree of hearing loss, so the first step is to seek an evaluation from a medical professional. It’s also possible that you have secondary tinnitus, and the condition is related to a diagnosable underlying issue, such as high blood pressure. An ear, nose, and throat (ENT) specialist can help you determine the underlying issue and recommend a plan of treatment or direct you to another specialist.
If your tinnitus has another cause, you’ll want to see an audiologist. Expect a hearing test and an evaluation of your medical history—including questions about the onset of your tinnitus and how it presents—and possibly a survey that focuses on tinnitus and hearing issues.
An expert will also try to determine how bothersome your tinnitus is. For some people, the phantom sound isn’t actually significantly disruptive or annoying.
Taking steps to maintain your hearing can also prevent tinnitus from worsening. It’s important to note that some degree of hearing loss is simply part of the normal aging process. This type of hearing loss is very gradual and often caused by changes in the middle and inner ear. However, there are many precautions you can take to prevent noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL).
Familiarize yourself with decibel ratings. Sound is measured in decibels, and long exposure to sounds over 85 decibels can cause hearing loss. Here are some decibel ratings for common sounds:
The louder the sound, the faster it can damage your hearing.
Wear protective accessories, such as earplugs when you’re at a concert or earmuffs when using power tools.
Limit your exposure to loud noises. Meet friends at quieter bars. Don’t position yourself near speakers when at a concert. Plug your ears when sirens are close by. Keep your distance from loud machinery whenever possible.
Sound-based tinnitus relief strategies attempt to “mask” the phantom noise with other sounds. In some cases, partially masking the tinnitus may be enough to make you feel better. Researchers aren’t quite sure which sounds or frequencies might be most effective. It might simply vary from person to person.
Experiment with some of the following ideas:
Use household items. The whirring of a ceiling fan or humming of an air conditioner might be enough to mask tinnitus. You could also try leaving a radio or television on for background noise.
Use more specialized devices. Sound machines can produce pleasant music or sounds at varying frequencies—such as white, pink, or brown noise. You can find machines to keep in your home and fill a space with noise. Or you can look for in-ear models that are portable and use Bluetooth technology. Some hearing aids come with the option to play sounds that may mask and relieve tinnitus.
Check online for sound libraries. Some sources, such as the American Tinnitus Association, offer sound libraries with soothing noises you can play from your phone or computer.
Some people report that certain foods and drinks worsen their tinnitus. Although little research backs this up, it’s wise to keep track of anything that seems to affect your condition. Write down your observations in a journal.
Note ingredients. Rather than just make a list of foods that influence tinnitus, consider common ingredients, such as high salt, sugar, alcohol, or caffeine content.
Consider the medications you take. Certain prescription and the over-the-counter drugs might be associated with tinnitus. Some examples include aspirin, ibuprofen, antidepressants, and drugs used to treat high blood pressure and cancer. If you think medication you currently take is causing hearing issues, talk to your physician about other options.
Reduce tobacco usage. Smoking cigarettes puts you at a higher risk of hearing loss. This could be because toxins in the products, such as nicotine and carbon monoxide, damage cells in the ear. Some research shows that quitting smoking may reduce the risk of hearing loss.
Carefully cut back. Suddenly quitting certain substances, such as caffeine, can lead to side effects like headaches, which can exacerbate tinnitus.
Stress may contribute to the onset of tinnitus or cause the sound to worsen. The ringing in your ears may seem to grow louder when a work deadline is looming, for example, or when you’re having a heated argument. Anything that eases stress and anxiety may be beneficial in managing tinnitus.
Try out relaxation techniques. Certain practices, including deep breathing, self-massage, meditation, and yoga, can be especially helpful in providing stress relief. Experiment with different relaxation techniques and stick with the ones that seem to be most effective.
Exercise. Whether you’re biking, lifting weights, or playing sports, physical activity can trigger the release of mood-boosting neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine. Physical activity can also pull your attention away from tinnitus.
Take a mindful approach. Mindfulness involves being present and viewing the world with a nonjudgmental perspective. There are many ways to practice this. For instance, you can try out a guided mindfulness audio meditation. Or you can simply focus on your senses, using sights, sounds, tastes, smells, and sensations to ground yourself in the present.
If tinnitus is severe and especially disruptive to your life, consider reaching out for professional help. Start with your personal physician, as the solution might be as simple as changing medications. Then, ask about the following options:
A hearing aid or cochlear implant might help when tinnitus is associated with hearing loss. A hearing aid is a sound-amplifying device that you wear in or behind or in your ear. A cochlear implant is surgically inserted under the skin and stimulates the auditory nerve. Both result in better hearing of external sounds, which can mask the phantom sound of tinnitus.
Lenire is the only FDA-approved treatment for tinnitus, and more than 90 percent of patients reported lasting improvement a year after treatment. It uses an approach called bimodal neuromodulation, combining sound therapy with mild electrical stimulation to retrain your nervous system and ease tinnitus.
TRT is a tinnitus management treatment that combines sound therapy and counseling. It might be offered by an audiologist, physician, or behavioral health provider.
TRT aims to help you achieve habituation—which means you become more accustomed to the phantom noise and better able to ignore it. This won’t happen overnight. Some research shows that it may take up to three months to notice improvement, and more than a year for you to achieve habituation.
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a common approach to psychotherapy, and it’s used to manage various mental health conditions. It helps you recognize and adjust unhelpful lines of thinking and behavior patterns.
In the case of tinnitus, it can also equip you with relaxation techniques and other coping strategies. CBT won’t make the phantom sound go away, but like TRT, it might help you get used to the sound and improve your overall quality of life.
BetterHelp is an online therapy service that matches you to licensed, accredited therapists who can help with depression, anxiety, relationships, and more. Take the assessment and get matched with a therapist in as little as 48 hours.
Take Assessment HelpGuide is user supported. We earn a commission if you sign up for BetterHelp’s services after clicking through from this site. Learn moreTranscranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a non-invasive treatment that uses recurring magnetic pulses to stimulate parts of the brain. It’s primarily used for conditions like depression, but some studies show that it might be useful in managing chronic tinnitus.
Although it shows promise, TMS for tinnitus is not yet FDA approved and more clinical trials are needed. A physician might offer it as an off-label option.
Many people with tinnitus look for relief beyond traditional treatments. Here are some popular alternative treatments:
Acupuncture involves inserting thin needles into certain points of the body to stimulate the nervous system and alleviate health issues. While evidence is limited, some studies indicate this might ease tinnitus. Acupuncture may also help to reduce stress levels and improve sleep quality, which, in turn, could help ease the impact of tinnitus.
Moxibustion is another type of traditional Chinese medicine, and it involves burning mugwort near acupuncture points. Similar to acupuncture, it’s an alternative treatment option for tinnitus that may be beneficial, but requires more research.
Herbal medicines, such as ginkgo biloba, Korean red ginseng, and acai, might provide some relief for tinnitus symptoms. However, their effectiveness is still up for debate. Be sure to talk to your physician before using herbal treatments because some may come with undesired side effects.
Whether it’s a device or an over-the-counter supplement, be skeptical of products that promise to miraculously cure tinnitus. Many marketers simply aim to make a profit from those suffering with tinnitus by making exaggerated or unfounded claims.
Tinnitus can significantly impact your mental health and well-being. The constant battle with phantom sounds can leave you feeling frustrated, depressed, or exhausted.
It’s important to remember you are not alone and there are steps you can take to improve your situation. With patience and the right strategies and tools, the sound can become more bearable, and you can live a full and satisfying life with tinnitus.
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