Can Tinnitus Be Made Permanent by Just Thinking About It?

[-serotonin-]

I'm just wondering... Can just thinking about tinnitus make you perceive it, like can you develop it just by thinking about having it?

If a person who doesn't have tinnitus thought, "hey my ears are ringing" could they perceive ringing in their ears as well?

I know thinking about it when you already have it will make it louder, but building off of that will that loudness be permanent as well if you keep thinking about it, or will it diminish when you stop?

 

[Bill Bauer]

Can Tinnitus Be Made Permanent by Just Thinking About It?

No.

 

[Red]

No.

I wouldn't be so quick to say no. We had a member not too longer ago who got tinnitus this way. Having a past of phobia, I am familiar with my body producing symptoms in response to being phobic of a certain illness.

Not that those imagined symptoms of a physical illness were real, but when tinnitus can be caused by stress, I am of the opinion that an intense enough fear could create it. Or, it could even be the last straw if there is pre-existing damage.

 

[Gman]

I read a post on this forum about someone who claimed theirs started spontaneously after seeing some news report on tinnitus.

 

[another sean]

not directly but freaking yourself out about it will kick up your anxiety and make it worse.

 

[JohnAdams]

not directly but freaking yourself out about it will kick up your anxiety and make it worse.

Agreed, stress leads to increased levels of cortisol and if you have damaged nerve synapses then that could have a harmful effect on them I'd think.

 

[-serotonin-]

So it would only be caused by thinking about it if it spikes your anxiety because anxiety can cause tinnitus (or make it worse)?

 

[Jack Straw]

There is a theory that Glutamate can cause oxidative stress which can damage to your nerves in the brain as well as the auditory system. Glutamate is increased during periods of stress, so people who have anxiety issues have higher levels of glutamate than normal people, which as been shown to cause oxidative stress (inflammation) in the brain.

Again this is a theory that scientist have talked about, but not proven. It seems logical to me.

@kelpiemsp has talked about the glutamate / tinnitus relationship before on here and prob knows more than me.

 

[Red]

There is a theory that Glutamate can cause oxidative stress which can damage to your nerves in the brain as well as the auditory system. Glutamate is increased during periods of stress, so people who have anxiety issues have higher levels of glutamate than normal people, which as been shown to cause oxidative stress (inflammation) in the brain.

Again this is a theory that scientist have talked about, but not proven. It seems logical to me.

@kelpiemsp has talked about the glutamate / tinnitus relationship before on here and prob knows more than me.

Mhmm. And a startingly correlation between anxiety and T onset.

 

[Michellejean]

When I lost 50 dB of hearing in my left ear I went five days without hearing out of that left ear until I googled symptoms of hearing loss, saw tinnitus was one of them, looked up tinnitus and within 5 seconds I started hearing a loud roaring in my ear. I think had I never googled I'd never heard tinnitus.

 

[GregCA]

I'm just wondering... Can just thinking about tinnitus make you perceive it, like can you develop it just by thinking about having it?

If a person who doesn't have tinnitus thought, "hey my ears are ringing" could they perceive ringing in their ears as well?

I know thinking about it when you already have it will make it louder, but building off of that will that loudness be permanent as well if you keep thinking about it, or will it diminish when you stop?

You're not going to develop Tinnitus by thinking about it.

 

[Alex Matyjasek]

You're not going to develop Tinnitus by thinking about it.

Completely agree with you. I'm 38, got tinnitus 3 months after learning that such a cruel condition could even be possible. I dought very much I developed my T by imagining it. It's just an unlucky horrible coincedence.

 

[-serotonin-]

Does everyone experience tinnitus to some extent? I don't exactly think this is the group to ask because all of you have it or you wouldn't be here, but I kinda want to know. If you think about it enough, will you notice it even if you don't have ringing since it could just be paying attention to misfiring nerves?

 

[Luman]

In experiments, most people who normally do not have tinnitus, when kept in a totally soundproofed room, will start to hear internal sounds.

 

[Suzerman]

I wonder this too. I got it shortly after my aunt got it and we talked about it. I remember saying:' what a terrible condition, I wouldn't wish it upon anyone'. Two days later boom fleeting tinnitus and a hissing noise that lingered to this day.

 

[Michael Leigh]

I'm just wondering... Can just thinking about tinnitus make you perceive it, like can you develop it just by thinking about having it?

No.

Tinnitus can be made worse by thinking about it and I believe made permanent by doing the same thing. Tinnitus is 90% mental, as it is greatly affected by our thoughts and emotions. For this reason someone that has tinnitus, it's important to try and avoid quiet rooms and environments especially at night.

Studies have been carried out with people not having tinnitus, were placed in a "soundproof" room. After a few minutes they began hearing tinnitus, caused by the brain tuning into the internal sounds of the body.

Michael

 

[GlennS]

I thought the whole idea behind TRT/CBT is that by not thinking about it you weaken the neural connections and hence the volume will be lower, and the reverse (which is what most T sufferers do) reinforces those connections, making them louder. Obviously, it's harder to ignore something than to pay attention to it. So I do believe in that level of neuro-plasticity.

Also, I've noticed that a big mood swing can make my ears do weird things like short 15 second tinnitus spikes which are seemingly independent of my permanent tinnitus. So there is definitely a mind-body link to hearing perception.

https://www.sciencealert.com/scient...the-answer-to-what-causes-ringing-in-the-ears

 

[Michael Leigh]

I thought the whole idea behind TRT/CBT

I have had TRT twice.

There are two parts to TRT: Counselling and sound therapy using white noise generators. In order for this treatment to work effectively it administered correctly following a strict protocol. More information is in my posts below.

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/trt-as-i-see-it.19555/

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/what-is-trt-and-when-should-it-be-started.19024/

Michael

 

[coffee_girl]

Who knew my tinnitus was caused by my imagination! I guess I'll just unimagine it and I'll be cured

 

[Michael Leigh]

Who knew my tinnitus was caused by my imagination! I guess I'll just unimagine it and I'll be cured

Unfortunately @coffee_girl once the part of the brain known as the "Limbic system" focuses on the tinnitus it doesn't want to let it go. It is here the tinnitus noise is generated...

The Limbic system controls our thoughts and emotions.

 

[Bill Bauer]

Studies have been carried out with people not having tinnitus, were placed in a "soundproof" room. After a few minutes they began hearing tinnitus, caused by the brain tuning into the internal sounds of the body.

After a few minutes Some (or possibly the Majority) of them began hearing tinnitus. It was certainly not the case that All of them could hear it.

 

[Michael Leigh]

After a few minutes Some (or possibly the Majority) of them began hearing tinnitus. It was certainly not the case that All of them could hear it.

I agree.
Quiet rooms and surroundings are best avoided as this can increase the tinnitus for some people. In addition to this our thoughts and emotions can affect tinnitus considerably.

Michael