Anxiety induced Tinnitus

[MBR1]

Does anybody believe in Anxiety induced tinnitus? I don’t

[_Barnabas]

I have suffered with anxiety since my teenage years and think it may be a contributing factor. Inflammation and cortisol resulting from prolonged stress could be a possible cause. But I also think the T could be connected to my neck pain.

What are your thoughts?

[MBR1 in reply to _Barnabas]

I don’t believe dress can cause it.

[auntcricket in reply to _Barnabas]

Yes, stress will cause an increase in tinnitus. It will also cause your neck to tighten up and that will bring on the tinnitus. I am lucky as most of the time my tinnitus is very low and only in one ear. (the ear I had BPPV in which I think was the initial trigger for my tinnitus) I have read that tinnitus that you are listening to your own nervous system. I know that when I get really stressed my tinnitus gets louder so I think there may be something to it. I have extreme neck problems and the doctors want to do injections for bulging discs in my neck. I think that once the muscles relax then my tinnitus will be less. I also have eustation tube dysfunction so when my neck tightens up it affects my ears and that also causes tinnitus. I do not have hearing loss.

[doglover1973]

The most common cause of tinnitus is hearing loss although people without hearing loss have it too. Once you have hearing loss you're a prime candidate for tinnitus. Hearing loss plus stress and anxiety increase your chances yet again. That's my understanding anyway.

[_Barnabas in reply to doglover1973]

That makes a lot of sense. I hope that reducing stress and anxiety will help relieve the t in the long run.

[Andy79]

Yes. Anxiety attributes to mine aka thinking about it makes it worse. I firmly believe that I have always had it and for some reason I now think that Ive been thinking about it more than I need to.

State of Mind.

[MBR1 in reply to Andy79]

interesting - i never had it until i had burning in the back of my head

[Lanzarotelover]

My tinnitus is always worse when I’m stressed or anxious