Can Tinnitus Affect My Brain, Cognition, Concentration and My Ability to Do Mathematics?

Hi,

I am training to be a mathematician, currently doing a PhD. For my work, it is very important to be able to think clearly and maintain good cognition, reasoning. I like to sip tea or coffee while working (cutting on coffee now) and spend long periods of intense focus. My tinnitus often creeps up and destroys my concentration. Especially in the past month this has been happening a lot as my tinnitus has gotten worse.

I have read in various places that tinnitus could have a damaging effect on the brain. What kind of effects am I looking at? I feel very anxious that this may eventually compromise my ability to do mathematics. Do you think I should look into other professions?

 

I don't have much to say except that I saw one doctorate paper (or whatever it's called) that found no correlation between high-pitched tinnitus and cognitive and academic performance, and that I know a guy who got his PhD in audiology with tinnitus.

 

Take a break from it, and go back to it. You might have to repeat throughout the day. But it helps in a big way. I kept working this way.

 

If it helps, I managed to sit and pass all my final exams at university with very loud high pitched tinnitus. That was when I first developed it too, and it was very loud at that point.

I believe you'll be fine. Just have to believe that you can still do it.

 

Probably more the psyche then the brain itself.

 

Turn on some music or white noise. Your tinnitus sounds pretty mild.

 

Hey,

I'm a software engineer which also requires long periods of concentration and lengthy chains of abstract thought. Tinnitus and various other ear-related issues have been torturing me all year long, yet I just had my end-of-year performance discussion and according to that I did splendidly.

So I don't think tinnitus will gradually trash your brain. In my experience, a habituated tinnitus sufferer's performance is no different from a tinnitus-free person's.

Also it's worth noting that everyone has issues that detracts from their performance. Maybe they have chronic pain, or insomnia, or their relationship is in the dumps, or their kid is sick. You're not competing against perfect humans as a disadvantaged tinnitus sufferer. Everyone else has their own handicap, too.

 

Well said @PaulBe.

@Breakfastisready,

Tinnitus can affect a person's concentration. Whenever you feel this way, take your time and work through it and you will recover. Try and not make difficulty discourage you from what you want to do. I am not saying this is easy because I have been there. Hopefully you'll get your PhD and the accomplishment will be so much sweeter, knowing that you came through adversity and become the victor.

Take care
Michael

PS: Please try and keep away from reading too much about tinnitus and the way it can affect a person, because it can destroy positive thinking.

 

Thanks a lot for this, @hans799. Nice persepective!

Thanks for the courage.

 

This does not happen to me. I can still read and concentrate despite tinnitus.

Tinnitus for me tends to interfere with speech and also to decipher a foreign language etc... for obvious reasons, and coupled with hearing loss it slows perception of sound. It is like one just heard a sentence but low in volume (hearing loss) and slow motion, and with vowels highlighted and consonants dimmed. So it is just a matter of poor speech recognition due to hearing issues.

That said, I don't think it can make a difference when concentrating on math problems, on something written.

 

Hi @Breakfastisready, how is it going for you?

I am in the same boat as you, I am also completing my PhD in Mathematics. I read the other thread of yours and I would recommend to talk to your advisor(s) and see if you can get some little break from research (that can be enough brain draining per se). I am pretty sure that they can manage to find funds to finance your project for few months longer, if needed. When I spoke with my advisor he told me to take a break for a little while; he also had tinnitus from noise trauma thus he understands.