Tinnitus is the presence of a sound in the ears that has no external source. Although the type of sound may differ from person to person, it’s usually described as a ringing or buzzing. Not a condition itself, tinnitus is a symptom of other medical conditions, including but not limited to age and noise-related hearing loss, ear injuries or trauma, ear infections, earwax blockages, medications and Eustachian tube dysfunction.
One less talked about factor that could contribute to the development and worsening of tinnitus is stress.
How Does Stress Develop and Worsen Tinnitus?
One 2023 study found that chronic psycho-social stress shares the same probability of developing tinnitus as loud noise exposure. One possible explanation they offer for this correlation has to do with the way the body reacts to stress through different systems, including the HPT axis (responsible for hormone regulation), HPA axis (responsible for stress management) and autonomic nervous system (responsible for automatic survival functions).
When the body is under constant stress, these systems adapt by changing the brain’s structure and function—a process called neuronal plasticity. The change in the brain’s structure is linked to the development of tinnitus.
The study further concluded that prolonged emotional stress could play a role in the worsening of tinnitus from mild to severe.
What Can I Do About Stress-Induced Tinnitus?
Stress-induced tinnitus is cyclical. The stress tinnitus puts on your mind and body can aggravate the internal ringing, and the internal ringing can lead to more stress, leaving you stuck in the cycle. While you can’t permanently stressors from your life, you may be able to find a few stress-relievers that work for you. Try out a couple of the following when you feel stressed:
- Yoga. Your sympathetic nervous system (part of the autonomic nerve system) triggers the fight-or-flight response. While it’s a helpful response in dangerous situations, it’s often overactive in modern life, leading to excessive stress. Long-term yoga can activate the parasympathetic system, which calms the body. Add a daily yoga video to reduce stress. If you’re unsure where to start, try taking a class at Integrative Yoga Therapy.
- Therapy. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) or tinnitus retraining therapy can help reorder your brain’s response to tinnitus. By changing the way you react to tinnitus, you can help minimize its effect on your life.
- Sound masking. Similar to CBT, sound masking doesn’t stop tinnitus but helps your brain deal with it. Sound masking covers the internal ringing with soothing white noise or nature sounds. You can try sound masking by playing a white noise video during times of stress. If you wear hearing aids, look for a tinnitus masking feature on their smartphone app.
Tinnitus is a personal experience, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have to go through it alone. Contact Elevate Audiology today to schedule a tinnitus consultation with one of our specialists.