You’re feeling hungry so you look in your fridge for a snack. Will it be something salty… maybe some crackers? Chips sound good! There’s a leftover piece of cheesecake that would be delicious.
Actually, maybe you should just eat a banana. After all, a banana is a much better health option.
When it comes to the human body, everything is connected. So maybe it’s not a big surprise that your diet can impact your ears. For instance, too much sodium can increase blood pressure and could make tinnitus symptoms more noticeable. Current research is indicating that diet can have a strong influence on the development of tinnitus.
Tinnitus and your diet
The official publication of the American Auditory Society, called Ear and Hearing, published a study that observed the diets of a wide variety of individuals. The data shows that what you eat might increase or diminish your susceptibility to certain inner ear conditions, tinnitus among them. And, based on the research, a deficiency of vitamin B12, in particular, could raise your potential for developing tinnitus.
Vitamin B12 wasn’t the only nutrient that was connected with tinnitus symptoms. Your chance of getting tinnitus also increases if your diet is too high in fat, calcium, and iron.
That isn’t all. This research also indicated that tinnitus symptoms can also be impacted by dietary patterns. In particular, diets high in protein seemed to reduce the risk of developing tinnitus. Not surprisingly, low-fat diets that were high in fruits, vegetables, and meats also appeared pretty good for your ears.
So should you make a change to your diet?
You would need to have an extremely deficient diet in order for that to be the cause, so modifying your diet alone likely won’t have a significant impact. Other problems, like exposure to loud sound, are far more likely to affect your hearing. But your overall health depends on a healthy diet.
This research has revealed some practical and meaningful insights:
- Quantities vary: Sure, you need a certain amount of vitamin B12 (for instance) to keep your hearing healthy. You will be more vulnerable to tinnitus if you get less than this. But your ears won’t necessarily be healthy simply because you get enough B12. Always speak with your doctor about any supplements you use because getting too little or too much of these elements can be bad for you.
- Safeguarding your ears takes many strategies: According to this research, eating a healthy diet can help lower your vulnerability to tinnitus and other inner ear conditions. That doesn’t mean you’re not still at risk. It just gives you better odds of avoiding ear conditions. So if you want to decrease the chance of tinnitus even further, you’ll have to take an inclusive approach to safeguard your ears. This may mean wearing earmuffs or earplugs to make sure noise levels stay safe.
- Nutrients are important: Your diet is going to have an impact on your hearing health. Obviously, your hearing will be helped by a healthy diet. But more than that, we can definitely see how malnutrition can lead to problems such as tinnitus. And with individuals who are lacking the vital vitamins, minerals, and nutrients they need, this is especially true.
- Always get your hearing checked by a professional: Come in and get your hearing tested if you’re experiencing tinnitus or hearing loss. We will be able to help you determine (and correctly treat) any hearing loss.
Research is one thing, actual life is another
And, lastly, it’s significant to note that, while this research is exciting and fascinating, it isn’t the final word on the topic. More research needs to be carried out on this topic to confirm these conclusions, or to improve them, or dispute them. How much of this connection is causal and how much is correlational is still something that needs to be established, for example.
So we’re a long way from claiming that a vitamin B12 shot will stop tinnitus. It could mean taking a multi-faceted approach in order to prevent tinnitus from the start. One of those facets can certainly be diet. But it’s essential that you take measures to protect your hearing and don’t forget about established methods.
We can help, so if you’re suffering from hearing issues, call us.
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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