What’s Causing That Annoying Noise in my Ears?

Woman with tinnitus and ringing in her ears getting a headache.

It’s well known that stress, especially for extended stretches, can be very hazardous to the body. Stress can produce serious muscle pain and headaches. But did you realize stress can also result in tinnitus, a ringing, buzzing, or clicking in the ears?

Tinnitus can be brought about by various different health factors, including stress, sinus infections, or loud noises. Let’s take a peak at some potential factors.

Unhealthy Stress – How to Identify it

You may be asking yourself how stress contributes to tinnitus. We typically don’t think about the negative effect stress can have on our bodies or how it can lead to troublesome, painful, or even serious medical conditions. Stress isn’t something you should disregard.

Healthy Stress

Stress that persists a few minutes, or even several hours, can actually be helpful in getting necessary tasks completed. Stress can supply a boost of energy and adrenalin to accomplish tasks and projects that really need to be finished.

There is a difference, though, between healthy, short-term stress and unhealthy, destructive stress. The ability to complete goals can be assisted by healthy stress while unhealthy stress can physically harm you.

Unhealthy Stress

Often, an irrational fear is the cause of unhealthy stress. When a person remains in a heightened state of anxiety, the consequence is often unhealthy stress.

Unhealthy stress relates to our “fight or flight” response, a normal reaction that helps keep us protected in hazardous conditions. Harmful physical symptoms happen when somebody remains in a hyper-stressful situation for prolonged periods.

Worrying

Unhealthy stress is commonly the result of worrying. The importance of an interaction or situation can often be exaggerated. We may have ourselves convinced that we said or did something to hurt our chances at a promotion. Excessive worrying can cause invasive, seemingly unmanageable thoughts.

Intrusive Thoughts And Unhealthy Stress

We might think that we are falling behind and failing to complete our day-to-day tasks. We might obsess, lecture ourselves, or even panic. Eventually, our unhealthy stress wears on our bodies unless we take measures to curb these thoughts.

Pain and muscle tension on the upper body are common effects of unhealthy stress. The head, neck shoulders, and jaw are areas that can be impacted.

Jaw Tension And Anger

Have you ever heard someone describe their anger as jaw clenching? Jaw strain is a prevalent symptom of stress, anger, worry, and invasive thoughts.

Continuous tension can put pressure on the delicate bones of the inner ear and eardrum. Ringing in the ears can be the consequence.

Sinus Infections And Ear Strain

From sore throats to stuffy noses, sinus infections produce lots of undesired symptoms.

Sinus infections cause headaches, sinus pressure, and ear pressure. These issues can produce ringing, buzzing, and clicking in the ears.

A stuffy nose frequently spreads to the ears during a sinus infection. Clogging in the ears and severe pressure on the eardrum will develop because of the excessive earwax this creates. Pressure on the little bones of the inner ear can cause tinnitus symptoms.

You may not need to go to a hearing professional if the ringing is being caused by a sinus infection, as the symptoms could go away by themselves. If the ringing persists for more than a few days, however, you should schedule an appointment with a hearing professional.

Extended Exposure to Loud Noises

Long-term ringing in the ears will most likely not occur due to the occasional concert. However, you might be putting stress on the delicate parts of your ear if you frequently expose yourself to intense sound.

When you expose your ears to loud noises on a regular basis, your eardrums and the bones of the inner ears are put under a great deal of strain, which can lead to buzzing, ringing, or clicking.

Beyond the intermittent ringing in your ears, exposure to loud sounds over a long period of time can trigger temporary or permanent loss of hearing. Listening to music at a sensible volume and using ear protection when necessary is essential for hearing health.

Safeguarding Your Ears

Tinnitus is not something you should ignore regardless of which one of these is causing it. It’s best to get your ears tested by a hearing professional on a regular basis. If you suspect the ringing in your ears has a serious hidden medical cause, you should have them examined for your peace of mind.

The site information is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. To receive personalized advice or treatment, schedule an appointment.