As you probably recognize, extended periods of stress aren’t healthy for the body. Stress can cause significant muscle pain and headaches. But tinnitus, a buzzing, clicking, or ringing in the ears can also be the outcome.
Stress isn’t the only thing that can trigger tinnitus, it can also be brought about by a sinus infection, loud noises, and other factors. Let’s have a look at a few potential causes of that aggravating noise in your ears.
Unhealthy Stress – How to Identify it
How does stress relate 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 severe medical conditions. Stress is not something you should ignore.
Healthy Stress
Stress that lasts a few minutes, or even a few hours, can actually play an important role in accomplishing demanding tasks. Stress can supply a boost of energy and adrenalin to accomplish tasks and projects that really need to be finished.
There is a difference, however, between healthy, short-term stress and unhealthy, destructive stress. Healthy stress helps you accomplish a goal without harming your body. Unhealthy stress is hazardous for your body.
Unhealthy Stress
Unhealthy stress is a consequence of the fear of something that, generally, never in fact occurs. When an individual remains in a heightened state of anxiety, the consequence is frequently unhealthy stress.
Unhealthy stress is associates with our “fight or flight” response, a normal reaction that helps keep us safe in dangerous situations. When a person stays in a hyper-stressful condition for a long period of time, it can lead to harmful physical symptoms.
Worrying
Worrying is a really universal cause of unhealthy stress. The significance of a relationship or situation can often be exaggerated. We might convince ourselves we destroyed a chance at a promotion because of something we said. Unreasonable worrying can lead to intrusive, seemingly uncontrollable thoughts.
Invasive Thoughts And Unhealthy Stress
We may think that we are falling behind and failing to accomplish our everyday routine. Fixation, perpetual internal dialog, and even panic attacks are a typical part of this type of stress. Eventually, our unhealthy stress wears on our bodies unless we take steps to curb these thoughts.
Normally, unhealthy stress affects the upper part of the body by producing pain and muscle tension. Affected areas might include the jaw, neck, head, or shoulders.
Jaw Tension And Anger
Have you ever read a book where the writer describes a character as being so angry his jaw clenched in rage? Jaw tension is a common symptom of stress, worry, anger, and invasive thoughts.
Continuous tension can put pressure on the fragile bones of the eardrum and inner ear. Ringing in the ears can be the consequence.
Sinus Infections And Ear Strain
Sinus infections bring lots of unfavorable symptoms, from a stuffy nose to a soar throat.
Headaches, sinus pressure, and pressure in the ears are common symptoms of a sinus infection. These issues can lead to ringing, buzzing, and clicking in the ears.
During a sinus infection, your nasal congestion often spreads to your ears. This can generate excess earwax, which leads to clogged ears and extreme pressure on the eardrums. Pressure on the little bones of the inner ear can trigger tinnitus symptoms.
You might not need to visit a hearing specialist if the ringing is being caused by a sinus infection, as the symptoms may improve on their own. If the ringing continues for more than a few days, however, you should schedule an appointment with a hearing professional.
Prolonged Exposure to Loud Noises
The occasional music performance is probably not going to cause lasting ear-ringing. If you regularly expose your ears to very loud sounds, however, you may be putting stress on the tender areas of your ears.
When you expose your ears to intense noises on a regular basis, your eardrums and the bones of the inner ears are put under a great deal of strain, which can produce buzzing, ringing, or clicking.
Beyond the periodic ringing in your ears, exposure to intense sounds over a prolonged period of time can result in temporary or lasting loss of hearing. Listening to music at a reasonable volume and using ear protection when needed is crucial for hearing health.
Protecting Your Ears
Tinnitus isn’t something you should ignore regardless of which one of these is causing it. It’s best to have your ears tested by a hearing specialist regularly. If you suspect the ringing in your ears has a significant hidden medical cause, you should get them checked for your peace of mind.