Where’s That Irritating Sound in my Ears Coming From?

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

It’s common knowledge that stress, particularly for prolonged stretches, can be very harmful for your body. When you are afflicted by persistent stress, everything from extreme muscle aches to headaches can be the outcome. But tinnitus, a clicking, buzzing, or ringing in the ears can also be the outcome.

Stress isn’t the only thing that can trigger tinnitus, it can also be caused by a sinus infection, loud noises, and other variables. Let’s have a peak at some potential factors.

Unhealthy Stress – How to Recognize it

How does stress relate to tinnitus? It’s often easy to take for granted how serious the medical impact of stress can be on our bodies. Stress isn’t something you should neglect.

Healthy Stress

Short term stress can actually be a very motivating factor when it comes to accomplishing tasks. If you’re facing a deadline and have to focus on completing a project, stress can be an ally by giving the boost of energy needed to get the job done.

But temporary, healthy stress and chronic, harmful stress are two very different things. Healthy stress helps you complete a goal without damaging your body. Unhealthy stress is hazardous for your body.

Unhealthy Stress

Unhealthy stress is caused by the fear of something that, more often than not, never in fact occurs. When someone remains in a heightened state of anxiety, the result is usually unhealthy stress.

Unhealthy stress is associates with our “fight or flight” response, a natural reaction that helps keep us safe in hazardous situations. Harmful physical symptoms occur when somebody remains in a hyper-stressful circumstance for extended periods.

Worrying

Worrying is a very universal cause of unhealthy stress. The importance of an interaction or situation can often be exaggerated. We might have ourselves convinced that we did or said something to hurt our chances at a promotion. When you worry in this way your intrusive thoughts can really get away from you.

Intrusive Thoughts And Unhealthy Stress

We may think that we are falling behind and failing to accomplish our daily routine. Obsession, endless internal dialog, and even panic attacks are a common part of this kind of stress. If we don’t take some positive actions to deal with this stress it will keep wearing down our body.

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

Jaw Tension And Anger

Have you ever heard someone depict their anger as jaw clenching? Stress, anger, worry, and invasive thoughts often come with jaw strain.

Sustained strain can put pressure on the fragile bones of the inner ear and eardrum. Over time, this strain can cause ringing in your ears.

Ear Strain And Sinus Infections

Sinus infections cause lots of unfavorable symptoms, from a soar throat to a stuffy nose.

Sinus infections produce headaches, sinus pressure, and pressure in the ears. These problems can trigger ringing, buzzing, and clicking in the ears.

Nasal congestion frequently spreads to the ears during the course of a sinus infection. This can create accumulated earwax, which causes clogged ears and intense pressure on the eardrums. Pressure on the tiny bones of the inner ear can lead to tinnitus symptoms.

If the ringing is caused by a sinus infection it will probably go away by itself and you won’t need to consult a hearing professional. But you should certainly make an appointment with us if the ringing lasts for more than a few days.

Prolonged Exposure to Loud Noises

The occasional music concert is probably not going to cause long-term ear-ringing. If you regularly expose your ears to intense sounds, however, you might be introducing stress to the tender areas of your ears.

Buzzing, Clicking, or ringing can be the consequence when the eardrum and inner ears are put under the incredible strain of repeated exposure to loud noises.

Above and beyond ringing in the ears, temporary or even lasting hearing loss can be the consequence of repeated exposure to loud sounds. Listening to music at a reasonable volume and using ear protection when necessary is essential for hearing health.

Protecting Your Ears

Whether caused by stress, muscle tension, an illness, or loud noises, tinnitus is nothing to ignore. It’s best to get your ears checked by a hearing professional regularly. If you think the ringing in your ears has a serious underlying medical cause, you should get them checked 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.