Chronic stress can have a variety of health-related consequences, including a negative impact on your hearing health. That’s why practicing stress management techniques is an important tool in protecting your hearing health, in addition to your overall well-being.
How It Works
The function of our inner ears is sensitive to blood flow. Conditions that impact healthy blood flow typically have a negative impact on hearing. Stress can impact blood flow because when your body is stressed, it doesn’t receive a signal to return to a relaxed state. This could lead to conditions like heart disease, high blood pressure or other illnesses. Healthy blood flow is impacted by these diseases and damages inner ear hair cells. Hearing damage that occurs due to damage of the inner ear hair cells is called sensorineural hearing loss, and once the inner ear hair cells are damaged, they can’t be recovered.
Studies have shown a clear relationship between a higher prevalence of hearing problems, including tinnitus, such as occupational, poorer sleep quality and high burnout.
Additionally, stress can make it harder to manage tinnitus symptoms or even cause a tinnitus flare-up. Pulsatile tinnitus is a form of tinnitus exacerbated by high blood pressure. Anxiety can also make ears feel full or stuffy, which can have an impact on hearing loss.
Tactics For Reducing Stress
Reducing stress can help prevent conditions harmful to your well-being and could in turn, protect your hearing. Consider these tactics for reducing stress:
- Take frequent breaks: When feeling stressed at work or home, step away for a break to take deep breaths when you can. Breaks can sometimes help you feel less overwhelmed.
- Exercise: Exercising provides several health benefits mentally and physically and can be used for stress reduction. Consider trying a yoga course at Sun & Moon Yoga.
- Have a support system: Ensure you have someone trusted to regularly communicate with and offer support.
Managing stress is just one of many steps to take to protect your hearing. It’s important to reduce your exposure to loud noises and take frequent breaks. Wear appropriate hearing protection when necessary and regularly get your hearing checked.
To learn more about hearing health or schedule a hearing test, contact ENT Specialists Of Northern Virginia today.