Tinnitus can be troublesome, but it isn’t typically painful. If you’re experiencing pain alongside the ringing in your ears, the discomfort usually stems from other medical conditions, not tinnitus itself. Some of these conditions, like ear infections, are easily managed, while others, such as chronic pain, head or neck trauma, or auditory nerve issues, can be more complex. Although tinnitus itself is not usually dangerous, understanding its relationship with pain is important to rule out more serious underlying conditions.
What Is Tinnitus?
Tinnitus is a condition in which the brain interprets the perception of sound when there is no external source. It’s sometimes described as hearing a ringing, buzzing, or humming sound. You may notice tinnitus in one or both ears, or it may be a vague sound “somewhere in your head.” Individual experiences vary greatly; symptoms may come and go, or you may experience persistent tinnitus. It can vary in pitch, type, and volume. Some tinnitus patients report loud sounds, while others liken the ringing in your ears to more of a whisper. Some people experience pulsatile tinnitus, which is synced with your heartbeat and may be caused by high blood pressure or vascular issues.
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"Treble Health helped me turn down the sound of my tinnitus. Now I can breathe, and get on with my life!"
– Elisa
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Between 10 and 20% of people are bothered by tinnitus, and it’s often caused by hearing loss. For some people, it’s a minor nuisance, but for others, it can be distracting and disruptive to regular life. For those experiencing other painful conditions, tinnitus tends to be even more noticeable. Co-morbid conditions can worsen tinnitus, or worsen the perception of symptoms.
The Relationship Between Tinnitus and Pain
When it comes to tinnitus and pain, it’s important to understand that one does not necessarily cause the other. Some studies have discovered that the way the brain regulates pain signals is very similar to the way it processes tinnitus. The limbic system, the part of your brain that processes sensory input, may be involved. It’s not clear whether pain perception and tinnitus impact each other directly, but it may be that they are processed similarly in the brain.
We only have a limited understanding of these processes, and more research is required before we can pin down the true relationship between tinnitus and pain perception.
Which Painful Conditions Are Associated with Tinnitus?
It’s possible to experience tinnitus without any other known health problems, but it can be a symptom of other conditions, some of which can be quite painful. Earaches, increased pain sensitivity, an ear disorder, hearing loss, and other factors can contribute to your perception of tinnitus.
Chronic Pain
Up to 40% of Americans suffer from some sort of chronic pain, defined as pain every day or most days for six consecutive months. Regardless of the cause, a recent study shows that people living with chronic pain are more than twice as likely to experience bothersome tinnitus.
Stress & Mental Health
There’s a significant, if complex, association between mental health and the relationship between tinnitus and pain. The precise relationship is not as simple as suggesting that having a mental health condition will certainly worsen tinnitus, but the findings are significant.
Research suggests that perceived stress, depression, and coping strategies may play a role in the relationship between bothersome tinnitus and pain perception in some people. The relationship between psychological characteristics and perception of tinnitus and pain are complex, however, and it is not clear exactly how they all fit together.
Hyperacusis (Sound Sensitivity)
Being sensitive to annoying or loud sounds is normal, but if you’re unable to tolerate everyday sounds at an average volume, you might be experiencing hyperacusis. Hyperacusis is defined as decreased sound tolerance, so common sounds seem very loud or even painful. Hyperacusis is thought to be related to changes in the central gain mechanism. This affects the way neural signals for sound are processed as they travel through the auditory nervous system to the brain.
Many people with tinnitus say they also experience hyperacusis. In fact, the majority of people with severe tinnitus notice hyperacusis, as well.
Earplugs can help cut down the level of sound reaching your ears, but this does not always help with hyperacusis, does not effectively address tinnitus symptoms, and these are generally not a long-term solution. Working with the audiologists at Treble Health can help you manage your response to these triggering sounds, as wearing earplugs full time can actually increase your reactiveness to loud noises and increase your hyperacusis sensitivities.
Noise Exposure
Exposure to loud, high-pitched, or sudden noises can be immediately painful, and it frequently triggers tinnitus. Your ears are sophisticated organs, so the sharp spikes in vibration during loud noise exposure can damage your inner ear’s tiny hairs, the inner ear, or the middle ear. After trauma, hearing loss can be temporary or permanent, but the physical pain typically subsides with treatment.
You can protect yourself from dangerously loud noises or high pitched sounds by wearing good ear protection and avoiding these sounds whenever possible. Wearing earplugs or noise-canceling headphones and avoiding loud machinery and loud music will help protect your hearing and can help protect against developing an inner ear disorder or experiencing age related hearing loss earlier in life.
Jaw Pain
Temporomandibular joint disorders, commonly called TMJ disorders, are known for causing pain when you chew or talk, and can also contribute to tinnitus. TMJ is usually caused by grinding your teeth or as a result of mouth injuries, arthritis, or jaw misalignment. TMJ dysfunction makes it painful or awkward to open and close your mouth or chew, and people frequently notice a clicking or popping sound. Because this joint is very close to your ear, these strained, sprained, or inflamed joints and ligaments can aggravate tinnitus. Studies show that people with TMJ problems are more likely to suffer from tinnitus; up to 60% of people with TMJ dysfunction experience a ringing in their ears.
Tooth Pain
Toothaches can also lead to tinnitus. Dental problems like cavities, infections, or impacted wisdom teeth can add to mouth and jaw pain that radiates up to the ears, though they may not initially seem to be related to your inner ear, middle ear, or auditory nerve. If you have both tooth pain or dental concerns and symptoms of tinnitus, talk to your dentist for prompt treatment.
Illness and Infections
Everyone experiences head colds from time to time, but for some, that unpleasant congestion can lead to tinnitus. Sore throats, stuffy sinuses, and upper respiratory infections can put uncomfortable pressure on your ears and lead to infections of the outer, middle, or even inner ear. Other physical issues like swimmer’s ear or excessive earwax buildup can be uncomfortable and trigger tinnitus, too. Fortunately, most of these issues are easy to treat. With proper medical treatment, ear pain and the associated tinnitus may clear up quickly.
Allergies
If you suffer from seasonal allergies, you’re probably very familiar with the pressure stuffy sinuses can put on your ears. They can feel itchy, swollen, and yes, allergies can trigger tinnitus. This congestion can interfere with your perception of sound, which makes tinnitus more noticeable. If you know allergies are to blame, treating your sinus symptoms will typically relieve both pain and tinnitus.
Injuries
Concussions or any trauma to the head or neck can cause a ringing in your ears or hearing loss. After a head injury, the perception of tinnitus is common. Head injuries can be very serious medical conditions even beyond tinnitus, so if you have had a head or neck injury, don’t wait! Seek medical help right away.
What Can You Do About Pain with Tinnitus?
The perception of tinnitus is complex, whether it is chronic tinnitus or an acute case. Even though tinnitus itself doesn’t cause pain, you may notice increased pain alongside the perception of tinnitus. Thankfully, if you’re experiencing tinnitus with or without pain, you can seek tinnitus treatment or management. First, though, you should make sure you have undergone a proper evaluation.
Proper Tinnitus Evaluations
First, contact your physician or audiologist to find the cause of your pain. Rule out underlying medical causes, as some health issues, like head or neck injuries, can be serious medical conditions. Other health conditions, like dental problems, illnesses, and infections, are medically treatable and you may be able to resolve both pain and tinnitus at the same time.
Targeted Hearing Tests
After you’ve ruled out any underlying medical causes, it’s time to get a hearing test. You might have hearing loss and not even realize it, and further tests may be necessary. Your doctor can help you determine the extent of your hearing loss, if any.
Management Techniques
Regardless of the source, mindfulness and counseling are good ways to understand and manage the way you react to stress, hearing loss, and tinnitus. Prioritizing mental wellness and minimizing stress are key to managing your tinnitus. There are also other options, such as sound therapy, that can be useful in reducing and managing the perception of tinnitus. Something as simple as a sound generator, like a white noise machine, can help to reduce the perception of tinnitus, and help the brain to focus on something else.
Explore techniques to help reduce tinnitus and contact the audiologists at Treble Health to put an effective treatment plan into place. Our audiologists understand the many complex layers to tinnitus, and the significant impact tinnitus symptoms can have on your life. Our complimentary telehealth consultations take place over Zoom, and give you 20 minutes to meet with an expert on our team to ask questions, discuss your unique situation and symptoms, and develop a customized management plan to help manage your symptoms and improve your quality of life. Reach out today to begin experiencing relief.
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