Could Your Hearing Loss Be a Consequence of Chronic Stress?
It can be hard to handle the pressures of juggling everything that comes with life, but not being able to cope can leave you open to health issues. One of the issues you might experience is stress-induced hearing loss.
Understanding the connection between chronic stress and hearing loss can help you navigate the toll that mental and emotional pressure can put on your body.
Understanding The Effects of Stress on the Body
When your body feels stress, it triggers your fight or flight response. This response can help you decide whether to flee or stand your ground in dangerous situations. However, high amounts of stress or prolonged periods of stress can have a psychological and physiological effect.
When in fight or flight, your body reacts by releasing three hormones:
- Adrenaline: Known as the fight or flight hormone, this increases your heart rate and gives you the energy you need to respond in a stressful situation.
- Cortisol: This is your body’s primary stress hormone and works with your brain to regulate your fear and mood. It also helps with motivation.
- Norepinephrine: A hormone that works similarly to adrenaline. It gives you increased focus and makes you more alert.
Stress can manifest as several physical symptoms, including:
- Gastrointestinal problems
- Migraines
- Hypertension
- Suppressed immune system
- Anxiety
- Difficulty with focus and concentration
- Irritability
- Disease
- And even hearing loss
Can Stress Cause Hearing Loss?
The most common symptom of stress-related hearing loss is tinnitus, which is a pulsing or ringing in your ears. This is caused by reduced blood flow. Other symptoms of stress-induced hearing loss are:
- Clogged or stuffy ears
- Ear pain or pressure
- Reduced hearing in one or both ears
These hearing-related symptoms are directly related to blood flow. This is because, during periods of consistent or intense stress, blood flow is one of many physical functions that is impacted. Especially if your body does not get the signal it needs to return to baseline.
Since your inner ear’s job cannot be performed without adequate blood flow, poor circulation can damage the hair cells in your inner ear. This damage is typically not reversible and can be a cause of sensorineural hearing loss.
However, there is some good news. If there is no permanent damage, it is possible for your hearing to return to normal once your stress levels come down.
5 Tips for Handling Your Stress
Coping with stress is different for everyone. However, one of the most common and universal ways to handle stress is by making small lifestyle changes. These minor adjustments can help you protect your health and well-being from the consequences of chronic stress.
1. Take Regular Breaks
Stepping away from a stressful situation, whether at work or home, will allow you to clear your head. Even a 20-minute break during your day can help you refocus and feel less overwhelmed. You can use this time to take a walk, read, decompress with meditation, or relax and do nothing.
2. Build a Support System
Having people you can lean on and talk to when you have a lot on your plate can take some weight off your shoulders. Your support system can include friends, family, or professionals like therapists who can give you additional strategies for managing the stressors in your life.
3. Incorporate Diet and Exercise
Eating well and engaging in regular exercise and movement can relieve stress by releasing endorphins, which can help combat the buildup of stress hormones. Healthy diet and exercise habits can improve your quality of life, making it easier to regulate stress hormones and their effect on your body to better preserve your hearing.
4. Make Time for Your Hobbies
Making time to focus on activities that bring you joy is important in leading a balanced life and reducing your stress. A hobby that engages your creative side, like drawing or crafting, gives your brain something else to focus on. Hobbies like hiking or playing a sport give you an easy way to include physical activity in your daily routine.
5. Have a Positive Mindset
Taking care of your mental health and staying positive can help you handle stress better. Your outlook on life has a big impact on your overall well-being. Smiling engages your facial muscles, and laughing can send messages to your brain to alleviate stress hormones.
Manage Your Hearing Loss with Beltone
If you think you might be dealing with stress-related hearing loss, scheduling a hearing test can help determine how much your hearing has diminished.
Only a professional can tell you if your hearing loss is permanent and how to manage it. If your hearing did not return to normal after incorporating healthy habits or mitigating the sources of pressure in your life, it might be time to speak with a hearing care professional to determine which hearing aid is right for you.
Just as you shouldn’t let stress take over your life, you shouldn’t allow stress-induced hearing loss to dictate how you live. With the right hearing aid, you can regain your hearing and get the support you need from the team at Beltone DFW.
Visit any of our offices for hearing aid demos, hearing assessments, and other hearing aid services.
