Tinnitus-Induced Anxiety / Anxiety-Induced Tinnitus

Hi all,

I've had mild tinnitus for about a decade. I went to a few loud clubs when I was younger, but the first time I noticed it persisting was when I was working in an office wearing headphones with loud music to drown out distracting conversations near me. Until recently it was basically fine - just a mild background irritation when I focused on it.

A few weeks ago, construction works started outside the house I was living in, just a few metres away from me, every weekday from about 7am. Then a *separate* set of construction works started on the other side of the house. These would run throughout the day, and since everything was locked down and I'd just moved to the town I was in and didn't know anyone else there I had no escape. I also tried turning up the white noise generator I'd been using to help me sleep at nights in the hope it would let me sleep in.

Some part of the above concoction seems to have caused the tinnitus to substantially worsen and/or me to start getting anxiety attacks (which I'd never had before) - which is to say I've developed both, but I don't know if one has caused the other or the construction was a direct cause of both. I've also developed what seems to be (from just having encountered the word) hyperacusis. And lastly, one of my ears has started experiencing constant slight sensation somewhere between pain and the feeling of pressure build-up from quick altitude change.

Fortunately a friend in a nearby town had a spare room he was willing to offer, so once I realised the state I was in I moved in with him - but most of the symptoms have remained. The anxiety has even worsened, though seems to come primarily from the unpleasantness of the tinnitus/imagining having to live with it indefinitely.

I went to a doctor yesterday and she couldn't see any inflammation (I'd been hoping the ear sensation pointed to an infection that would clear up). She's referred me to an ENT clinic later today, though she didn't sound very optimistic they'd find anything. I'll see then, in any case. Before that I'd been to a (different) doctor a couple of weeks ago, who'd found too much wax in my ears to investigate properly, and sent me to have them syringed (which I've just seen someone advising against in another thread... doh).

I'm not totally sure what I'm seeking here - I'm lucky enough to have supportive friends and family albeit not nearby - but given that this went from almost 0-60 in just a couple of weeks, and it doesn't seem like my mental state has finished 'evolving', it seemed worth introducing myself on here and just finding out what happens...

So hi! And in the interest of a more balanced introduction, I'm a 40-year-old nerd, typically a software developer though took some time out to study in 2020*, typically an obsessive zouk dancer until 2020 happened**, also into calisthenics, contract bridge and analytic philosophy.

* ** Being effectively unemployed for a year, deprived of my primary hobby and having been to a lot of high volume dance events in the last few years probably have not helped my current state, though I hadn't noticed any serious effects until now.

 

I often wonder about the link of anxiety and tinnitus myself. I certainly had a growing anxiety problem before tinnitus started in. I don't think anxiety was the cause tinnitus for me, but seems like a factor for sure. I've noticed so many on this board have anxiety. Tinnitus causes anxiety I know, but how many clam, chill type people get tinnitus. Interesting thought.

 

@Gman45, I have often wondered the same thing about the anxiety and tinnitus connection. I’ve had tinnitus on and off since 2015 so I’ve been around this site on and off for a number of years. I can tell you that I have definitely noticed that there seems to be a connection between people struggling with tinnitus and anxiety. It does certainly seem like there’s a lot of folks who had struggled with anxiety and depression prior to getting tinnitus.

My husband has bilateral tinnitus. He can hear it over many, many things. If he focuses on it, he can hear it when we’re out in a relatively noisy restaurant. He’s had it for so many years he doesn’t even notice it. He will notice it at night sometimes and he will turn the fan on to distract himself but otherwise, he is good. And he’s way more chill than I am. He’s not the least bit stressed by his tinnitus. I’m anxious, he’s not. I struggle with my tinnitus, he doesn’t. My cousin also has bilateral tinnitus. She’s super chill. Doesn’t bother her. Only at night she turns the TV on with a timer to go to sleep.

I was in the midst of a full-blown breakdown when my tinnitus got worse and my husband was telling me how I just need to ignore it and live my life. And I remember telling him - I’m not wired like you. And I really do think that there is something about that which contributes to how much somebody suffers with tinnitus.

 

@SashaC, I experienced something similar. I had mild tinnitus for three months (audible in quiet room and no reactiveness) until a loud drilling went on for a couple of weeks next door. It was non stop. As I was working from home it was impossible to go somewhere else. My tinnitus went crazy after those couple weeks and I also got hyperacusis. I ended up going to a psychiatrist, got some pills to calm my brain down and now 2.5 months later, hyperacusis is nearly gone and tinnitus very quiet.

So I hope you will get better too. Keeping my fingers crossed for you. My initial tinnitus started after a period of stress and anxiety. I have no hearing loss and normal MRI.

 

For the 60% or so of us who have somatic tinnitus and can make our tinnitus seem louder by stressing our jaw/face/neck muscles: is it possible that anxiety would increase muscle tension unconsciously so that the trigeminal nerve (and/or other nearby nerves) send a stronger signal to the dorsal cochlear nucleus? I.e. the tinnitus really is louder rather than just seeming louder. Just wondering...

 

Great to hear!