Blood Pressure and Tinnitus

There are many different ways tinnitus can be caused, from exposure to loud noise to medications. What many people don’t know is your blood pressure can play a huge part in the severity of tinnitus symptoms. Tinnitus is diagnosed when there is a ringing, buzzing or static sound in the ear that a person hears constantly. It can be affected by stress or one’s emotional state or health. Considering the close proximity to the brain and the immense amounts of blood flowing in and out of the head and this area, it is no wonder that high blood pressure can affect one’s hearing; causing hearing loss or tinnitus and affecting the degree and severity at times depending on the severity of the blood pressure.

Understanding high blood pressure and tinnitus

So why does high blood pressure cause tinnitus and how can it be fixed or at the very least lessened? The first step is to schedule an appointment with a hearing care professional. While high blood pressure needs to be checked and monitored by your family doctor, a hearing care provider is more equipped to diagnose and treat tinnitus.

Medication is typically used to lower high blood pressure in most patients. Sometimes change in diet and exercise may be needed, or a change in lifestyle. Sometimes high blood pressure is caused by increases in stress, alcohol consumption or caffeine intake and each of these can also increase the noticeability of tinnitus. You and your doctor must figure out the best course of action for not only your blood pressure, but also your tinnitus if it is caused by your high blood pressure.

Other causes of tinnitus

It should be noted that not only high blood pressure causes tinnitus. Other blood vessel disorders can cause the ringing-in-your-ears sensation, including Atherosclerosis, which is a build up of cholesterol and other deposits over time in the vessels. As we age, the vessels tend to not flex and expand as they should so along with these buildups cause restrictive, but more forceful blood flow which is easily picked up in the ear.

Head or neck trauma can cause pressure on the vessels in the head or ear, causing tinnitus. Malformation of the capillaries is when there is an abnormal connect between the arteries and the veins which therefore can cause tinnitus; also known as arteriovenous malformation (AVM). Finally, turbulent blood flow when the neck artery or veins are kinked or narrows causing an irregular blood flow to the head can also cause tinnitus.

If there is any sort of ringing or buzzing or noise in your ear that you feel should not be there see your hearing health professional or your family doctor to have them check it out because it could be telling you more about your body and general health than you know.