Coastal Hearing Care is committed to providing our patients with the highest quality hearing healthcare through our medically focused practice. We strive to help our community and offer the best possible, cost-effective hearing care. Our priorities include educating patients so that they understand exactly what is happening with their health. To further enhance patient knowledge, we have been looking into whether or not stress can affect your hearing. Read on to find out more!
While many people have never considered stress as a cause of hearing loss, there is a direct correlation. Due to the link between stress, high blood pressure, and heart problems, stress can cause a number of issues, including reducing your hearing.
Ears are made up of a very complex set of parts, each working in a different way to help us hear. The tiny hairs within our inner ear help us interpret the meaning of different sounds and deliver the information to our brains through electrical impulses. If these tiny hairs aren’t working correctly, your brain has trouble figuring out the meaning of different sounds correctly. As stress levels rise, the tiny hairs can become damaged or die completely. This is due to a lack of blood circulating to the ear. Certain frequencies will no longer be interpreted and sensorineural hearing loss occurs.
As daunting as it may seem, there is a relatively simple way to prevent hearing loss from stress! It is extremely important to manage the stress itself. We know how difficult it can sometimes be to handle our life stressors, but it is vital to keep yourself, and your ears, healthy! Practicing healthy habits like regular exercise, meditation, and finding a hobby that relaxes you are great ways to reduce your stress levels and protect yourself from any negative side effects it could cause. You can even reverse some of the damage done to the delicate hairs in your inner ears if they aren’t too far gone. Weakened hairs will strengthen over time as your stress and blood pressure are managed, and your brain will once again regain the ability to interpret lost frequencies!
Whether you believe you have stress-related hearing loss or simply need a check-up for your hearing, we are more than happy to help! You can make an appointment by calling our Coastal Hearing Care at (941) 229-2122. We have two offices, one is located at 5860 Ranch Lake Blvd Suite 110 near Lakewood Ranch and the other can be found at 4831 27th St West in Bradenton (inside Fyzical.). Our knowledgeable and dedicated staff is eager to assist you with all your needs!