Can Stress Cause Tinnitus?

[Littlebailey]

I thought I read something about stress causing tinnitus over the last week. Is stress actually considered a documented, genuine cause? Of course one gets rather anxious and stressed after they get tinnitus.

But can you get tinnitus from stress?

 

[Penelope33]

I think it's stress that makes the blood pressure high or higher than your normal which in return can cause tinnitus.

 

[dboy7921]

Yes stress can cause tinnitus. At least in my case. It started with a strange fluttering noise in my right ear which turned into a hissing sound in both ears after a panic attack and periods of stress and anxiety. Has something to do with certain levels of stress which can damage the nerves of your inner ear. In any circumstance it can also make existing tinnitus or hyperacusis much worse.

I should also mention I am currently through a rough patch with my tinnitus and hyperacusis caused by stress and loud noise exposure so that's why I'm browsing this site currently. I was pretty chipper and habituated well before that.

 

[Stina]

It is hard to say excactly, but I think there are some scientific researches that claim that "in patients with mild tinnitus the swift to severe tinnitus was linked to seriouss stress". Therefore I dont see why it shouldnt cause it However often even after the stress subsides the tinnitus stays. If you have problems with stress try to relax and if you have more serious issues, visit a doctor Good sleep and little thinking always helpt.

 

[Mark McDill]

I would not be surprised if stress can cause tinnitus; my tinnitus came on during a period of deep anxiety and stress (although I felt fine at the time and thought I was handling things well -- I was, in fact, a stress ball and was not handling it well).

In addition to the stress, I had been taking a lot of Ibuprofen (I hear that can be a factor also). Furthermore, I was taking an antibiotic for a toe fungal (eeew!). I also have hearing loss and now suffer tinnitus in that ear.

Just a guess -- maybe those factors actively predispose a person to tinnitus (???)

It would stand to reason that if you get rid of the stress and stop medication 'x' that your tinnitus would go away; but I think that argument is species in that tinnitus is likely an errant (or degraded) rewiring in your brain (an incorrect neuro-pathway) that takes place much further down the chain of components involved in the system that is your hearing.

Of course, all this is speculation on my part; by no means am I a qualified expert -- just another guy with tinnitus and his story.

Mark

 

[Relic Hunter]

For years I had mild tinnitus... It worsened during a period of extreme stress. I am a vet and receive care from the VA for my tinnitus... The large local VA hospital has about 800 cases of tinnitus. My doctor who oversees the tinnitus and hearing disorders dept. says in almost all cases of tinnitus the suffer is also experiencing severe stress before the onset of the tinnitus. There is a connection as far as I am concerned.

 

[Dr. Ancill]

Stress and anxiety are tinnitus 'amplifiers' but they do not cause tinnitus. If you had subclinical tinnitus (not aware) before then stress and anxiety could make it more easily perceived and therefore appear causative.

 

[Lisa88]

As I understand it, research on the brain and tinnitus links to areas of the brain re anxiety, and some researchers think that it can be such areas of the brain that can generate tinnitus in the first place. See observations in this article:

Tinnitus Perception and Distress Is Related to Abnormal Spontaneous Brain Activity as Measured by Magnetoencephalography

 

[adam2525]

I don't know if stress causes tinnitus. Stress certainly exacerbates mine.

 

[Hopeful1]

Stress in itself does not cause tinnitus, but when your ears are exposed to moderately loud noise, it cannot recover from the damage due to stress.

"Moreover, moderate and high stress levels at the time of acoustic trauma have been suggested to play a pivotal role in the vulnerability of the cochlea to acoustic damage and therefore for the development of tinnitus and hyperacusis."

Source:
Advances in the neurobiology of hearing disorders: Recent developments regarding the basis of tinnitus and hyperacusis

 

[kamil1364]

I got my tinnitus first after mowing the lawn without hearing protection. It didn't last long, but I was so so so stressed by it, it's hard to imagine.

After it faded away I was constantly stressed about it, and kept searching for it even if it wasn't there. Then it came back (I wasn't exposed further to any loud sounds). And it's still there after 2 months.

Could stress cause permanent tinnitus?

 

[MindOverMatter]

In my opinion, stress can trigger chronic tinnitus, yes. But managing your stress levels can also be the key to lower your mind and body's response to tinnitus to such a level that it will not bother you any longer.