As temperatures climb in Vero Beach, many people with tinnitus may notice that their tinnitus changes with the weather. It may become louder, trigger more frequently or change in pitch. Let’s examine this interesting phenomenon.
How Heat Impacts the Body
High temperatures affect the whole body, including the auditory system. When the temperature goes up, your body has to work harder to cool you down, particularly your cardiovascular system. Some measures it takes include:
- Increasing heart rate so blood can deliver hydration to organ systems throughout the body faster
- Expanded blood vessels, both due to heat (heat makes things expand) and increased blood flow
- Increased body temperature, both due to the environmental temperature and the extra exertion from the body
- Dehydration; using up the body’s water resources
How This Affects Tinnitus
When the blood vessels and tissues around your ears and organs of the auditory system swell, it can affect how the inner ear functions. It can change how sound waves travel through the ears and how sound information is processed inside the brain.
Dehydration also takes its toll. The hearing organ is filled with fluid, and when you’re dehydrated, this fluid becomes thicker, which can also change how sound waves are processed by the auditory system.
Tinnitus is also very sensitive to changes in blood flow. In fact, some types of tinnitus, such as pulsatile tinnitus, are directly correlated with blood flow and cardiovascular function.
Other Ways Summer Heat Can Influence Tinnitus
Here are some more indirect ways the heat may be related to tinnitus changes:
- Disrupted sleep. It’s hard to fall asleep when you’re too hot. Not to mention days are longer and busier, so it’s not uncommon to go to bed a little later and wake up a little earlier than you did during cooler months. Changes to sleep patterns can affect tinnitus.
- Elevated stress levels. Being too hot can lead to feeling overstimulated, producing a stress response. Stress is a well-known tinnitus trigger.
- Air pressure. Our ears are sensitive to changes in air pressure, and some people are extremely so (how many of us know someone who can feel a storm coming “in my bones”?). Humidity, summer storms and sudden temperature changes all affect the air pressure, which can in turn impact the pressure inside the head and tinnitus.
Seeking Help
The mercurial nature of tinnitus can make it hard to cope with. It may be time to seek professional help for your tinnitus. Contact us at Aaron's Hearing Aid & Audiology Center today to schedule a tinnitus evaluation and begin a discussion about managing your tinnitus.