Your Thyroid Can Make Your Ears Ring!

Found this. I was researching selenium...

Your Thyroid Can Make Your Ears Ring!
Tinnitus is a medical expression for "ringing in the ears" though a few hear other sounds. This kind of noise could be heard in one ear, both ears, the middle of the head or can just be difficult to pinpoint. The noise can be low, medium or high-pitched and it can be continuous or it may come and go. Tinnitus is common throughout all age groups, particularly after exposure to loud noise, however it is uncommon as a major issue except if it gets to be chronic.

There isn't any one cause of tinnitus. It's a symptom associated with an underlying condition. That condition could be age-related hearing loss, an injury to the ear or even trouble with your circulatory system. Some other conditions are Meniere's Disease, TMJ, high blood pressure, sinusitis, thyroid dysfunction and so on.

Tinnitus is actually a common effect of thyroid dysfunction. A lot of people with this condition get a ringing in their ears. Dysfunction of the thyroid causes various other issues which include lowered energy levels, increased sensitivity to pain, weight gain, and depression.

The thyroid is a small gland, shaped just like a butterfly, positioned in the lower part of your neck. It's among the major endocrine glands in the body. The thyroid controls how fast the body expends energy, creates proteins and just how sensitive the body would be to other hormones. The two most typical conditions with thyroid dysfunction are hormone overproduction (hyperthyroidism) and hormone underproduction (hypothyroidism).

Hyperthyroidism only affects 1% of people. It causes an increase to your metabolism. The symptoms consist of nervousness, irritability, weight loss, shaky hands, panic disorder, racing heart and tinnitus. The tinnitus brought on by hyperthyroidism is normally linked to heart rate and is pulsatile in nature.

Hypothyroidism is somewhat more common. It affects about 1% to 2% of women and less than one half of a % of men and happens more frequently as we grow old. It causes a decrease to the metabolism. The symptoms are fatigue, lethargy, weight gain, cold intolerance, constipation as well as enlargement of the thyroid gland. Further conditions can include hearing impairment and tinnitus. With hypothyroidism tinnitus is usually present as a constant sound.

Tinnitus will most likely lessen or resolve as soon as the underlying condition is resolved. The use of supplements has proven to strengthen your thyroid health. They include things like:
Iodine - Iodine deficiency, which is a major cause of thyroid dysfunction, can be increased with diet and kelp supplementation. Foods that have iodine are yogurt, eggs, meat, fish and other seafood, radish, parsley, potatoes, oatmeal and bananas.

Selenium - Most people diagnosed with hypothyroidism had been selenium deficient. Selenium deficiency can lower the activity of the thyroid hormones.

 

Hi Karen, I thought of you when I read this.

I started taking Nascent Iodine a bit ago:
(Nascent iodine is iodine in its atomic rather than its molecular form. It is an iodine atom that has an incomplete number of electrons meaning it can hold an electromagnetic charge. Nascent iodine has a large energy release when consumed because energy is saved. Nascent iodine is recognized by the body as the same iodine that is produced by the thyroid so it is absorbed effortlessly by the body. )

And just recently started on selenium.

My blood work has never indicated a thyroid problem .... yet.

 

calin , you are so right

im slightly hypo, and got prescribed too large a dose of thyroxin and wow the loudness of my tinnitus doubled

the thyroid can definitely effect tinnitus

thanks for bringing this up

best wishes
mt

 

Oh gosh MT... so sorry to hear that. geez

Perhaps you could do some research on Nascent Iodine and selenium. I have me across that before.

My best wishes for you as well. I love you guys!

 

heart felt thanks to you calin, and yes will check it out

 

Hello,

Thank you for this article. I have had tinnitus I do not know for how many years as I saw an ENT 2 years ago for the first time for my ear problem and he did not know what was wrong and the audio test showed that my ear was fine. The ENT thought I had a stomach acidity problem/reflux that was the cause and yet I was not having any acidity problem.

I was diagnosed in August 2013 with thyroid problem and was put on Thyroxine as I am hypo. Unfortunately, on 11th Oct 2013, I saw my results for my TFT tests (done in Sept) and was told I am going hyper (as my T4 were going up and my T3 which was low is borderline) and doc wanted to stop giving me thyroxine but I refused and since I had 7 tablets left she told me to finish them and wait for 2 weeks after I finish my tablets and do a TFT test again. Unfortunately my tablets ended few days ago and wow did my tinnitus start. I cannot remember the last time I felt it but its now on and off and I am so tired. I think its even worse. So now I have to wait for early Nov 2013 to do another TFT test again and wait for my results.

I am glad I read this article and I now see a link between my thyroid and tinnitus and it is not all in my head. Oh by the way I also did Thyroid antibodies and results were negative.

Thank you.

 

I really hope there is something to this. This pulsing-T has got to settle down.

My TSH yesterday is 0.16, kind of low, imo. I may of been going Hyper all year. Not sure my GP thinks anything of
this. I'm just hoping, maybe I'm taking too much Thyroid medication. She's running me into the ground.

(History; had my thyroid abated, part of it anyway. Maybe whats left is kicking in overdrive now).

 

As fairly new to tinnitus-between 6 to 9 mos., I found some validation here. Thank you! My last TSH a year ago showed results smack in the middle of the reference range. Being in the medical field myself I know few tests are unequivocal, especially when it comes to something as difficult to pinpoint as thyroid issues. I ignored the tinnitus up to this point becuase it was minor and my husband has had it for years as well. We chalked it up to being musicians in our younger years. Now, however, I woke up this week with a fullness and fluttering feeling like a cotton ball stuffed in my right ear that was being pulled slightly. When I cup my hand over either of my ears the feeling diminishes drastically for a few seconds but then returns. I also am experiencing occasional bouts of dizziness. I have many of the symptoms of hypothyroidism but certainly not all of them. I will insist that my GP check my thyroid as part of my evaluation.

 

Hi all it was a misdiagnosed under active Thyroid that brought on my Tinnitus.. I was very very ill for months and months and had several blood tests.. Every time this idiotic so called quack doctor told me all was ok with all the tests .. Untill one day i was so poorly i went back to the surgery / clinic and saw another Doctor. He double checked my blood tests.. And i saw his mouth drop open.. !! he said wow how did he Not see this .. You have virtually no thyroid function.. You are critically under active and he immediately started me on 50 mg of Levothyroxin.. Sadly it was too late and about that time one morning i was awoken by horrendously loud Tinnitus.. This was 15 years ago and it still has a huge affect on my well being and life .. In the early days i was a basket case .. To be honest.. Too much to tell.. . Tinnitus is a life changer for sure.. Micky

 

Hi Karen thanx for your reply..yes i was a complete mess.. My body was shutting down.. I could just about walk and was shivering all over even though it was summer.. Of course your tinnitus could be linked to your thyroid.. No doubt about it.. Sorry you have this pulsating tinnitus and ringing.. I know what your going through believe me !! my tinnitus originally started with bells ringing but when i used the white noise generator i was given by my audiologist it copied the sound of white noise and in just a few weeks went from ringing to a shhhhhhhh white noise and that's what im left with.. Loud as well.. . Anyway thanx for sharing and i wish you well.. Micky.

 

What is the bests course of action to check your own thyroid issues from reading your own blood-work? As noted from "Micky", some Drs are just not knowledgeable in this area and it would be helpful to educate myself in what to look for. Do you need to see an endrocinologist for this or what exactly should one proactively look for in their blood-work in regards to "hyper..." and hypo....issues? Im confused w/ the T4, T3 terminology, TSH etc! My symptoms are more inline with hyperthyroid by what was explained above. Been very low in Vit D deficiency for over 4 yrs even though I take 10,000 IU daily. Very helpful info.

 

Hi, it looks as though I may have hypothyroidism (low thyroid function) to be confirmed pending more tests. Online info suggests there may be a link with tinnitus. Has anyone experience or knowledge of this please? Is the tinnitus potentially reversible if the thyroid is treated?
Thanks, Lilian

 

I found these posts on hypothyroidism and tinnitus, and it's possible that getting medication may bring relief. I'm not sure if it would cure tinnitus, however. If you do start thyroid medication, please keep us keep us informed!

Here are the posts on hypothyroidism and tinnitus:

http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Thyroid-Disorders/Tinnitus-and-Hypothyroid/show/1422186

 

My doctors also wanted to rule out thyroid issues with my T and we did with blood tests. Definetly worth checking especially if you have other related symptoms as well.

 

Thanks - I will keep you informed as to any test results / treatment

 

Hi Lilian,

I've just begun taking medication for hypothyroidism (Hashimotos), and am hoping my tinnitus will subside in time. Have you begun taking anything yet? Any results one way or the other?

 

Hello, my thyroid went up and I started feeling dizzy and wobbley , m my doc. changed my med. a few times and then I started getting ringing in y ears, is this what happened to you? , please let me know, much appreciated.

 

Hi alifalijohn,

I've actually had the tinnitus for around 18 months, as best I can remember. A lot of stress, and without my realizing it, my thyroid was 'crashing'. I think all three are related; stress, tinnitus, hypothyroidism. I've been reading that tinnitus can fade when the hypothyroidism is treated. I've just started taking levothyroxine, 50mcg. I'm only in the first week of treatment, so I know I need to be patient. I have heard that hypothyroidism takes time for the correct balance of meds to be found for each individual. I wonder if your tinnitus, being only one month in, isn't directly related to simply getting the medication dosage correct. I hope that is your case, as I think it could be remedied. Mine is (I think) part of my hypothyroidism. Let me know how things go for you.

 

I have a thyroid problem ( slow) few month ago it went up height my doc. changed the med . a few times and the ringing in my ears started about 1 mth ago..plus before it starts , I felth dizzy and light headed.. did this happen to you ? what do you take for sleeping ..I have a hard time falling asleep ..taking some sleeping pills now , but don't want to..my doc.is going to do an mri end of month. scared of mri, help.not sure what to do..any info will help..thanks!

 

I think it started with my thyroid..few month ago, I started feeling light headed and dizzy, my doc. check my blood and my thyroid went high, he put on 3 days a week with 5omcg , and it went to low, he put me back on 100mcg , during that time my ears started ringing. Now they send me for hearing test , audio, end of month mri. Now ia back on 50mcg..hope this all helps and the t goes away. hope it all works out for you , keep me posted! Huggs!

 

Hello Darcie, want to keep intouch with you to see how our T is , I think it is all due to our Thyroid problems.. My doc. put me back on 50mcg..hope this all works for us , once it is balance. Please keep in touch..i think we have the same problem. I a from Toronto Canada..I think you wanted to find out what med. I am taking ..please write again, I can't find the post..I think you ask me if I am a woman...yes!

 

Hello Karen, please keep informed about Thyroid problems, I think we both got tinnitus from low Thyroid.

 

So, I'm one week in taking 50 mcg of levothyroxine, and so far big help in getting my energy levels back on track. Fuzzy head feeling gone, but tinnitus is still around. I cannot say it has changed much, other than I am somewhat better able to not notice it during the day (it's on humming away, but background noise). With better energy, it could simply be activity keeps me preoccupied. Levothyroxine has given me, in just one week, a feeling like I'm not completely falling apart physically and to some extent, mentally from exhaustion and tinnitus. So, maybe treating the Hashimoto's with levothyroxine will also lead to minimizing tinnitus. I have heard treating the thyroid can help reduce tinnitus. I sure am retaining some hopefulness and you can, too! I take the meds every day, one pill, same time of day, with no food. The only medication I take, and I understand will have to do so forever to keep thyroid in balance. Since you have started on the 50mcg, are you noticing any improvement in general and/or tinnitus reduction?

 

Hello Lilian, nice to hear from you, today is the second day I have taken 50mcg, I am not as wobbly and lightheaded , just slightly..hope this can do the trick for us,,My t is still around..My big problem is sleeping in the night, I get anxiety at night because , I feel I would not fall asleep. I melotonian, felth druggy the next day, took atavan , hate it, do not want to take drugs.. My doc. gave me Apo-trazodone .25mg , it has help , but don't lke drugs, going to a natural herblist next , hope this can help..You take care! keep in touch, together we might be able to beat this , since we seemed to have the same think in commom Thyroid..bye and God bless!

 

Thank you for the information, and the caution regarding medications contra-indicated with levothyroxine. I am so much not in to taking meds, but this levothyroxine, I find myself grateful for it's existence.