A tinnitus diagnosis is often an unsettling experience, even if a person has already been living with the condition for weeks, months, or even years. When a person is diagnosed with tinnitus, a doctor will explain that the problem is, in most cases, an issue of brain hyperactivity — not some kind of injury. “The knowledge that their brain is malfunctioning can be distressing,” says Michael Kilgard, PhD, a professor of neuroscience at the University of Texas at Dallas. The patient will also learn that there’s currently no cure for the condition. After hearing all this, it’s common for a person to both stress about their tinnitus and fixate on it. “Stress tends to make tinnitus worse,” Dr. Kilgard says. He explains that tinnitus has both an auditory component — which he describes as the tone and intensity of the sound itself — and also an emotional component. “How much it bothers people is not always correlated with how loud it is,” he adds. There’s even a theory that suggests a majority of people actually have tinnitus, but for most it doesn’t bother them unless they focus on it, explains Brett Comer, MD, a surgeon and associate professor of otolaryngology at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine in Lexington. In some ways, he says, tinnitus is comparable to some chronic pain conditions or to problems falling asleep at night: The more a person worries about it, the worse the problem gets. “I tell people it will take your body and brain time to adapt,” Dr. Comer says. “A lot of people are able to cope with it, but we have some patients who are just debilitated by it.” Here’s what you should know about how tinnitus can affect your life, as well as how to avoid being in that latter group of people who end up being debilitated by the condition.
“In some cases where we can’t manage the condition medically or surgically, we may refer people to a psychologist or psychiatrist,” he says. It’s not uncommon for these mental health providers to prescribe antidepressants or anti-anxiety drugs to help patients manage their tinnitus-related mental health woes.
As with other medical conditions that cause or contribute to anxiety or depression, tinnitus may increase a person’s risk for suicide. This may be especially true for older male tinnitus patients living on their own. (3)
“There is also an association between tinnitus and sound hypersensitivity,” Comer says, referring to a condition known as hyperacusis. Hyperacusis is defined as a “ consistently exaggerated or inappropriate responses to sounds that are neither threatening nor uncomfortably loud to a typical person ,” according to a study. (4) That same study also found roughly 15 percent of tinnitus patients report having hyperacusis. Other research has shown that hyperacusis may be even more common among tinnitus patients who seek clinical help for their condition. (5)
Tinnitus has also been linked with several rare health conditions. One, called Meniere’s disease, is an inner-ear disorder that affects a person’s balance and hearing — while also causing occasional bouts of tinnitus. (6) Another condition, called misophonia, causes an individual to feel anger, disgust, or fear in response to run-of-the-mill sounds. Up to 5 percent of tinnitus sufferers may also have had misophonia.
While mental health and medical complications can occur, it’s important to note that most cases of tinnitus don’t develop into something scary and debilitating, Comer says. Of the roughly 25 million Americans who have tinnitus, about 2 million suffer from the “extreme” type that will cause debilitating side effects. (7)
Also important to keep in mind: If a doctor doesn’t identify some kind of tumor or other physical explanation for a patient’s tinnitus right at the start, those medical issues are unlikely to develop later on. While the same isn’t true for the mental health complications associated with tinnitus, the condition is most likely to cause distress and anxiety during the early stages — not later on when the brain has had time to adjust and “turn down” the tinnitus, Comer explains.
For those struggling with their tinnitus — and especially those who feel like the condition is harming their mental health or making them depressed — talk to your primary care provider, who can direct you to get the appropriate care. There are specific behavioral counseling approaches for tinnitus, if your doctor deems it appropriate, including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and tinnitus retraining therapy (TRT). (8)
Tinnitus support groups are also available. (9) Comer says talking with other people about their tinnitus experiences can be reassuring, and counselors can provide coping methods or therapies that may help patients find relief.
Start by asking your doctor about counselors or support groups in your area. The American Tinnitus Association also maintains a list of support networks operating in most states. (9)
Bottom line: Tinnitus can have serious complications. But that’s not the case for most patients.
Meet Our Experts
Justin Laube, MD, is a board-certified integrative and internal medicine physician, a teacher, and a consultant with extensive expertise in integrative health, medical education, and trauma healing. He graduated with a bachelor's in biology from the University of Wisconsin and a medical degree from the University of Minnesota Medical School. During medical school, he completed a graduate certificate in integrative therapies and healing practices through the Earl E. Bakken Center for Spirituality & Healing. He completed his three-year residency training in internal medicine at the University of California in Los Angeles on the primary care track and a two-year fellowship in integrative East-West primary care at the UCLA Health Center for East-West Medicine.
He is currently taking a multiyear personal and professional sabbatical to explore the relationship between childhood trauma, disease, and the processes of healing. He is developing a clinical practice for patients with complex trauma, as well as for others going through significant life transitions. He is working on a book distilling the insights from his sabbatical, teaching, and leading retreats on trauma, integrative health, mindfulness, and well-being for health professionals, students, and the community. Previously, Dr. Laube was an assistant clinical professor at the UCLA Health Center for East-West Medicine and the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, where he provided primary care and integrative East-West medical consultations. As part of the faculty, he completed a medical education fellowship and received a certificate in innovation in curriculum design and evaluation. He was the fellowship director at the Center for East-West Medicine and led courses for physician fellows, residents, and medical students.
Markham Heid's work has appeared in The New York Times, the Financial Times, The Washington Post, Food & Wine, and Time, as well as on Vox and Vice, among other media outlets. He is originally from Detroit but currently lives in southwest Germany.
