Verdict: Can High Stress Lead to Hearing Loss?
You may only associate hearing loss with getting older or being exposed to loud noises, but the reality is that those are far from the only causes. As it turns out, stress can lead to hearing loss in adults. We shouldn’t be surprised; stress has been linked to high blood pressure and heart problems. It seems that stress has added another condition to its list.
The problem is that people live in one of the most stressful times in history, and it’s affecting us in so many ways. But how did this happen? And what is your body doing during times of stress that result in hearing loss? We’ll cover what’s happening in the ear and what you can do to mitigate this condition.
A Journey into the Ear
The inside of your ear is vastly more complex than people think. There are a lot of parts that are needed for your hearing to function correctly. One of these parts is a series of tiny hairs in the inner ear, which interpret sounds and deliver them to your brain via electrical impulses. When these aren’t working correctly, it can be difficult for you to interpret sound accurately.
How do these tiny hairs relate to stress-related hearing loss? It turns out that your body does a significant number of things in times of stress, including reducing blood circulation through your body. When the inner ear doesn’t receive good circulation, the hairs can become damaged or die altogether. This circulation loss results in an inability to interpret some frequencies and can lead to sensorineural hearing loss.
Mitigating Stress-Induced Hearing Loss
Luckily, there’s an easy fix to prevent and mitigate stress-induced hearing loss: manage the stress itself. We know this is harder than it sounds—after all, we don’t know what’s causing you such high levels of stress. However, regardless of your situation, there are measures you can take to reduce your stress levels, including things like exercise and meditation.
If you can mitigate the stress itself, you’ll find these delicate hairs will recover if they’ve not already succumbed to your high stress levels. Weakened hairs will quickly go back to normal, giving your brain access to old frequency ranges that formed entire speeches and symphonies.
When you believe you have stress-related hearing loss, working with a team of professionals is vital to restoring your hearing. For any permanent damage, there are multiple solutions to fix your world of sounds. Amdahl Hearing provides a swath of services, including diagnostics, tinnitus treatment, hearing aid dispensing, and many more.