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The Link Between Stress and Hearing Loss
The Link Between Stress and Hearing Loss
Most of us have heard medical professionals say that stress is a “silent killer.” Stress is insidious, radiating in many areas of our live without us realizing its true consequences. Stress has been linked to physical symptoms such as headaches, upset stomach, elevated blood pressure, chest pain, and problems sleeping. It has also been linked to the onset or worsening of other symptoms and diseases, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart problems, depression, and anxiety.
Did you know that stress has also been linked to hearing loss? Let’s take a look at the issues surrounding stress and how we can manage our stress to prevent related conditions.
Effects and Prevalence of Stress
Stress is a normal part of life: it is a natural response to changes in your environment and allows you to assess the situation and make adjustments.
According to the American Institute of Stress, stress has many different definitions and people have many different ideas when it comes to their own personal definition of stress. It has been defined as “a condition or feeling experienced when a person perceives that demands exceed the personal and social resources the individual is able to mobilize.”
While most people think of stress as strictly negative, it is important to note that there are different forms of stress. Medical professionals name two main forms of stress, one positive and one negative. “Eustress” is a positive form, one that occurs as a reaction to things like a new job, while “distress” is the negative. Distress occurs when there are continual challenges without a break, whether it is work-related or exposure to a series of traumatic events.
Stress may also be referred to in its longevity. Acute stress is our “flight or fight” reaction and tends to affect us for 90 minutes before our body returns to normal. Chronic stress, on the other hand, is ongoing – bills, kids, job performance for example – and could lead to greater issues if not addressed.
The American Institute of Stress provides us with statistics from 2014 regarding stress among adults in the US. Approximately 77% of people experience regular physical symptoms due to stress, and 73% of people experience psychological symptoms caused by stress. An overwhelming 76% of people cite money and work as the leading cause of their stress.
The Impact of Living with Unchecked Stress
Stress, when left unchecked, can radiate to many areas of our lives. It has been cited as a problem source for relationships, with 48% of people saying that stress has a negative impact on their personal and professional life and 54% of people saying that stress has caused them to fight with people close to them.
On a physical level, 51% of people say that they experience fatigue due to stress, and 30% cite muscle tension due to stress.
Stress and Hearing Loss: What’s the Link?
A study from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, found that tinnitus and hearing loss are linked to stress. In the study, researchers surveyed participants about the relationship between stress and their work environment (both psychosocial and physical), as well as their physical and mental health. Researchers included questions about hearing abilities in regard to stress. They found that “respondents reporting stress relating to poor sleep and bad health were more likely to complain of tinnitus and hearing loss. Both men and women in the study reported their hearing loss was worse when they perceived themselves to be in bad health.”
In part, we can theorize that your auditory system is a sensitive environment that relies on a healthy circulatory system to function properly. The tiny hair cells of your inner ear, which are responsible for translating sounds into neural signals registered by your brain as sound, rely on a good supply of oxygen to function properly. The relationship between stress (distress) and your cardiovascular system could adversely affect your auditory system.
At the same time, hearing loss has also been linked with increased levels of stress. For the 20% of Americans who experience hearing loss, the struggles that accompany hearing loss could lead to stress. Whether it is communication with a loved one or performance on a job, untreated hearing loss could impede your productivity and relationships.
Managing Stress and Better Hearing Health
The American Heart Association offers a few tips for managing stress: talking yourself down and staying positive; taking a few deep breaths; counting to 10, or walking away from a situation; doing one thing a day that brings you pleasure, whether it is a cup of coffee or chatting with a friend; and participating in a relaxation activity such as yoga or meditation daily.
If you believe you have a hearing loss and have yet to seek treatment, take a moment to contact us at Orange County Physicians’ Hearing Services to schedule a test. Taking steps to treat your hearing loss will set you on a path to better hearing, which brings many benefits to your overall health.
