The Emotional Toll of Tinnitus: Navigating Anxiety and Depression

Tinnitus and hearing loss can make social interactions more challenging. This can impact your overall wellbeing. If you have a hard time understanding conversations, experience feelings of isolation or have concerns about missing out on important information and have to strain to compensate for this, then you may experience heightened levels of anxiety.

Anxiety Can Impact Your Hearing

An overlooked phenomenon is that anxiety can impact your hearing. The physical symptoms that come with anxiety, such as muscle tension, increased heart rate and shortness of breath can all cause tinnitus. Studies have been done and they have found that ringing, fullness in the ears and pulsing are all present at the height of a panic attack. Online polls have also been done, and they have found that 76% of people had pulsatile tinnitus when experiencing anxiety.

So, as you can see, tinnitus can cause anxiety but at the same time, it can be caused by it. This can lead to a cycle, and it can make it difficult for you to navigate social situations.

Communication Difficulties

As your hearing declines, or if you have significant hearing loss, you may find it difficult to communicate with others. You may find it hard to understand conversations, miss out on information or find it difficult in general to express yourself. Difficulties such as this can lead to isolation, frustration and embarrassment. These states can provoke feelings of anxiety.

Cognitive Strain

People who have hearing loss tend to struggle quite a lot with mental strain, as well as fatigue. A lot of this comes down to the effort required to constantly try and hear. They have to concentrate hard, fill in the gaps and take the time to decipher unclear sounds. This can create a lot of fear regarding their ability to keep up with certain situations. As tinnitus is often associated with hearing loss, it’s not surprising to see that it could help evoke feelings of anxiety.

Social Impact

Communication difficulties can lead to social anxiety. People with hearing loss may withdraw from social interactions and they may also experience loneliness. 30% of people who have hearing loss, can also experience tinnitus. When tinnitus is persistent or ongoing, it can cause anxiety and it can also lead to a lot of emotions. Constant tinnitus can also make it difficult to sleep and focus, which leads to more intense feelings of anxiety. Talk with an audiologist about what the best treatment is for you.

Navigating Tinnitus

If you experience anxiety because of your tinnitus, or if you feel as though it is having an impact on your mental health, then one thing you can do is visit your local audiologist. They can then take you through the steps and provide you with a hearing aid which helps to mask the tinnitus you are experiencing. They may also be able to advise you on other treatments depending on how severe your tinnitus is. This could include earwax removal, tinnitus retraining therapy or lifestyle modifications such as quitting smoking or cutting out alcohol, as this can also impact your hearing health.