What came first... Tinnitus or anxiety?

[My T Sucks]

I know there's been studies done to validate that anxiety can produce T. But yesterday I was in a car accident (stressful to say the least) and my T returned regularly scheduled baseline today. Anybody's thoughts on this?

 

[Beth]

For me, anxiety certainly makes it worse and I believe caused it but we all react to things differently. I've had stressfull experiences since getting t and it hasn't affected it at all, in fact it bothered me less because my mind was on something else yet on a day by day basis I can be OK with it yet a slight increase in volume can have me right back in those, 'how will I live with this', 'what if it continues to get louder', 'why can't I habituate when everybody else can' type thoughts and I can be on a real downer. If I can stop those thoughts before they get going then it's more managable and the anxiety doesn't start. Not an easy ride that's for sure.

 

[Melina]

I know that when I am anxious, I focus more on my tinnitus (as I do with any other problems I have) and this certainly exacerbates it - not sure whether physiologically or because I just tune into it more.

High blood pressure is also associated with tinnitus, and stress certainly makes that rise, so that could be a factor too.