Tinnitus is a persistent ringing in the ears that affects millions of people. If you’re one of them, you know that the sound of tinnitus can spike in volume at random. There are many things that can cause tinnitus spikes, and today we’re discussing three of them: sleep, stress and diet.
Sleep and Tinnitus
Your sleep cycle and your tinnitus symptoms are locked in a vicious cycle: tinnitus disrupts sleep, and poor sleep exacerbates tinnitus. The sounds of tinnitus make it harder to relax and fall asleep, and in severe cases, tinnitus might even wake you up in the middle of the night.
The fatigue you feel the next day will stress your nervous system, making regulation difficult and taxing your cognitive energy. The part of your brain that regulates emotions becomes more sensitive when it is exhausted. This will make tinnitus seem louder and likely intensify your emotional reaction to it.
Stress and Tinnitus
It is well-documented that tinnitus is linked to stress. Stress can contribute to the onset of tinnitus or worsen existing tinnitus. That’s because stress influences the nervous system and releases hormones, such as cortisol, which can overstimulate the brain’s sound processing center. This can increase both the perception of tinnitus and the distress it causes (much like fatigue does, as described above).
Stress also causes muscle tension, particularly in the neck, shoulders and jaw. The tension in these areas can affect the muscles and structures around the ear: tension in the neck can impede the nerve by which the ear transmits sound information to the brain, and tension in the jaw can cause inflammation that crowds the organs of the ear. All of this can contribute to tinnitus.
Diet and Tinnitus
As with all health conditions, your diet plays a substantial role in tinnitus. Some foods can make tinnitus worse, while others can help calm your body and improve blood flow to your ears. Alcohol and caffeine, for example, can increase blood pressure and heart rate. This can affect the ears, which are very sensitive to blood flow. Sugar can spike blood glucose levels, which can also exacerbate tinnitus.
On the other hand, eating a healthy (but not excessive) amount of other types of foods can help alleviate tinnitus. Studies show that dietary patterns high in fruit and vegetables and meat and low in fat decreased the odds of tinnitus.
In Conclusion
Tinnitus is a complex condition. Its neurological nature intertwines it with many other facets of health. Next time your tinnitus spikes seemingly at random, ask yourself how you slept that night, what you ate today or if you’re feeling stressed out. If you have any other questions on how overall health can affect tinnitus, or if you’re interested in a tinnitus evaluation, contact us at Aspen Audiology today!