Why your ears are ringing and 6 habits making tinnitus worse
The condition affects more than 50 million Americans, with nearly 20 million cases considered chronic, according to the American Tinnitus Association. While it’s most often described as ringing, many patients also report hearing buzzing, hissing, clicking, swooshing, or humming — even though no external sound is present.
Dr. Jaslean Ahuja Michals, a clinical audiologist, recently shared her expert advice on TikTok, breaking down the potential causes of that persistent ringing and offering tips on how to keep it at bay.
First things first
If you’re hearing that persistent buzzing or ringing, Michals says seeing an audiologist for a hearing test should be your top priority.
“We want to check for auditory nerve damage,” said Michals. “Ninety percent of tinnitus comes from hearing loss.”
So, why does this happen? When the brain stops getting the normal auditory input from the ears, it tries to compensate by generating its own sounds at the frequencies you’re losing. That’s where the ringing or buzzing comes from, according to Michals.
Habit 1: Not protecting your ears from loud noises
Maybe you’ve already seen an audiologist and been told your hearing’s fine; that doesn’t mean you’re out of the woods just yet.
“For anything that’s really loud, you need to make sure you protect your hearing,” Michals warned. “A lot of tinnitus can stem from significant noise exposure.”
Don’t worry, that doesn’t mean you have to stop head-banging at concerts or ditch your motorcycle helmet. When you can’t turn down the volume or escape the noise, Michals recommends using protectors like earmuffs and earplugs to keep your hearing sharp.
Habits 2-4: Addictive substances and a bad diet
Your ears don’t just depend on volume control — they also rely on what’s going on inside your body. In fact, your diet plays a huge role in the overall health of your circulatory system, which directly impacts your hearing.
Drinking alcohol can lead to dehydration, spike blood pressure, and mess with the fluid balance in your inner ear, all of which can trigger dizziness and worsen tinnitus symptoms.
Smoking is another major culprit. Though researchers haven’t pinpointed the exact cause, it’s suspected that nicotine and carbon monoxide in cigarettes lower oxygen levels in the blood, constrict blood vessels, and reduce circulation to the inner ear — putting your hearing at risk.
Michals also recommends maintaining a low-sodium diet to help manage tinnitus because too much salt can disrupt fluid in the inner ear. She said this is especially important for people with menieres disease, a chronic inner ear disorder that affects balance and hearing.
Bad habit 5: Not getting enough sleep
Tinnitus can make getting to sleep a nightmare, but not getting enough rest only makes the ringing worse.
“If you get really poor sleep, that tinnitus the next day is really going to crank up,” Michals said.
In 2022, researchers at Oxford University identified why this might happen. They found that sleep deprivation puts your brain in a heightened state of activity, making it more sensitive to the signals that create the ringing in your ears.
Bad habit 6: Leading a sedentary life
“Exercise isn’t just about staying healthy, but it can actually promote blood flow in the body,” Michals said.
Research backs this up, indicating that physical activity not only improves circulation but also reduces stress and anxiety, both of which can trigger tinnitus flare-ups. Plus, exercise helps with sleep, another key factor in controlling symptoms.
Conclusion
While there’s no cure for tinnitus, by breaking these six bad habits, you can significantly reduce the symptoms and improve your overall quality of life.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What are the causes of tinnitus?
- Hearing loss, noise exposure, addictive substances, diet, lack of sleep, and a sedentary lifestyle
- How can I manage my tinnitus symptoms?
- See an audiologist for a hearing test, protect your ears from loud noises, maintain a healthy diet, get enough sleep, exercise regularly, and reduce stress and anxiety
- Can tinnitus be cured?
- Currently, there is no cure for tinnitus, but it can be managed and reduced with the right treatment and lifestyle changes.