You go into the kitchen to find a snack. Do you want something salty… how about crackers? Oooo, chips! Hold up. Maybe this leftover slice of cheesecake.
Actually, maybe you should just have a banana. A banana is a healthier option after all.
Everything is interrelated in the human body. So the fact that what you eat can affect your ears shouldn’t be surprising. For instance, high sodium intake can increase blood pressure and could make tinnitus symptoms more noticeable. Research is adding weight to this notion, suggesting that what you eat could have a direct influence on the manifestation of tinnitus symptoms.
Your diet and tinnitus
A study published in Ear and Hearing, the official journal of the American Auditory Society, observed all kinds of people and took a close look at their diets. The data indicates that what you eat may increase or diminish your vulnerability to certain inner ear conditions, tinnitus among them. And, based on the research, a deficiency of vitamin B12, in particular, could increase your potential for getting tinnitus.
Vitamin B12 wasn’t the only nutrient that was associated with tinnitus symptoms. Consuming too much calcium, iron, or fat could increase your risk of getting tinnitus too.
And there’s more. The researchers also noted that dietary patterns could also cause tinnitus symptoms. For example, your likelihood of developing tinnitus will be decreased by a diet high in protein. Needless to say, low-fat diets that were high in fruits, vegetables, and meats also appeared fairly good for your ears.
So should you make a change to your diet?
You would have to have a seriously deficient diet in order for that to be the cause, so modifying your diet alone probably won’t have a significant impact. Other issues, like exposure to loud noise, are much more likely to affect your hearing. Having said that, you should try to maintain a healthy diet for your overall health.
This research has discovered some practical and meaningful insights:
- Protecting your ears takes many approaches: The danger of tinnitus and other inner ear conditions can be lowered by eating a healthy diet, according to this study. That doesn’t mean you’re not still at risk. It simply means that your ears are a little more resilient. You’ll need a more extensive approach if you really want to be protected from the chances of tinnitus. This might mean using earmuffs or earplugs to guarantee noise levels stay safe.
- Quantities vary: Certainly, if you want to keep your ears healthy you need a certain amount of B12 in your diet. Getting less than that could increase your susceptibility to tinnitus. But getting more vitamin B12 won’t necessarily make your ears healthier. Getting too little or too much of these elements could be detrimental to your hearing, so always talk with your doctor about any supplements you take.
- Nutrients are essential: Your diet will have an effect on the health of your hearing. Clearly, your hearing will be benefited by a healthy diet. But more than that, we can definitely see how malnutrition can lead to problems like tinnitus. And with people who are lacking the vital vitamins, minerals, and nutrients they need, this is particularly true.
- Get your hearing tested professionally: If you’re suffering from hearing loss or tinnitus, get your hearing tested. We will help you figure out what type and level of hearing loss you’re dealing with and how to best manage it.
Research is one thing, real life is another
While this is inspiring research, it’s important to note that there’s more to be said on the subject. More research must be carried out on this subject to confirm these conclusions, or to refine them, or dispute them. We’re not sure, for instance, how much of this relationship is causal or correlational.
So we’re not implying that tinnitus can be prevented by a B12 shot alone. Keeping that ringing in your ears from surfacing from the start could mean taking a multi-faceted approach. One of those facets can certainly be diet. But it’s crucial that you take steps to safeguard your hearing and don’t forget about proven methods.
We can help, so if you’re suffering from hearing issues, call us.
References
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/tinnitus/symptoms-causes
https://journals.lww.com/ear-hearing/Fulltext/2020/03000/Relationship_Between_Diet,_Tinnitus,_and_Hearing.8.aspx