You go into the kitchen and you look for a snack. Will it be something salty… maybe some crackers? Potato chips sound good! Hold up. Maybe this leftover piece of cheesecake.
Maybe you should just opt for a banana on second thought. Of course, a banana is a much healthier choice.
When it comes to the human body, everything is interconnected. So the fact that what you eat can affect your ears shouldn’t be surprising. For instance, too much sodium can increase blood pressure and could make tinnitus symptoms more pronounced. Current research is indicating that diet can have a direct impact on the development of tinnitus.
Tinnitus and your diet
The official journal of the American Auditory Society, called Ear and Hearing, published research that looked at the diets of a wide variety of individuals. The data shows that your diet may increase or diminish your vulnerability to certain inner ear disorders, tinnitus among them. And, according to the research, a deficiency of vitamin B12, in particular, could raise your potential for getting tinnitus.
Vitamin B12 wasn’t the only nutrient that was linked to tinnitus symptoms. Consuming too much calcium, iron, or fat could raise your risk of getting tinnitus as well.
And there’s more. The researchers also noted that dietary patterns could also trigger tinnitus symptoms. For example, your risk of developing tinnitus will be reduced by a diet high in protein. It also appeared that diets low in fat and high in fruits and veggies had a positive impact on your hearing.
Does this suggest you need to change your diet?
Diet alone isn’t likely to dramatically change your hearing, and in fact, you’d most likely have to have a pretty severe deficiency for this to be the cause. Your hearing is much more likely to be impacted by other factors, such as exposure to loud noise. But your general health depends on a healthy diet.
This research has uncovered some practical and meaningful insights:
- Always get your hearing checked by a professional: Come in and get your hearing evaluated if you’re experiencing hearing loss or tinnitus. We will help you determine what type and level of hearing loss you’re coping with and how to best address it.
- Nutrients are important: Your diet is going to have an effect on the health of your hearing. It certainly seems as if a generally healthy diet will be good for your ears. So it’s not difficult to see how problems like tinnitus can be a result of poor nutrition. This can be especially important to note when individuals aren’t taking in the nutrients, vitamins, and minerals that they require.
- Protecting your ears takes many approaches: The risk of tinnitus and other inner ear conditions can be decreased by eating a healthy diet, according to this research. That doesn’t mean you’re no longer at risk. It simply means that your ears are a bit more resilient. So if you want to lower the risk of tinnitus even further, you’ll have to take a comprehensive approach to protect your hearing. This may mean wearing earmuffs or earplugs to make sure noise levels remain safe.
- Quantities vary: Sure, you require a certain amount of vitamin B12 (for example) to keep your ears healthy. You will be more susceptible to tinnitus if you get less than this. 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.
Real life doesn’t always echo the research
And, finally, it’s significant to note that, while this research is impressive and fascinating, it’s not the final word on the topic. More research needs to be carried out on this topic to validate these results, or to improve them, or dispute them. We’re not sure, for example, how much of this connection is causal or correlational.
So we’re not suggesting that tinnitus can be eliminated by a B12 shot alone. It could mean using a multi-faceted approach in order to prevent tinnitus from the start. One of those facets can definitely be diet. But it’s crucial that you don’t forget about proven methods, and that you concentrate on safeguarding your hearing health as much as possible.
We can help, so if you’re experiencing hearing issues, call us.
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References
https://journals.lww.com/ear-hearing/Fulltext/2020/03000/Relationship_Between_Diet,_Tinnitus,_and_Hearing.8.aspx