Our bodies are naturally attuned to the changing of the seasons, and the weather may subtly impact you in ways you don’t expect. One such impact is on tinnitus. If you suffer from tinnitus, you may notice a spike or change in your tinnitus now that the weather is warming up.
Dehydration
Hot, humid weather can lead to dehydration much more quickly than colder weather, as your body needs to use its water supply to keep you cool. When your body is dehydrated, the fluids in your inner ear thicken, which can impact your perception of the phantom sounds of tinnitus. Your circulation also suffers from dehydration, which can reduce oxygen and nutrients to the inner ear. All of this can impact tinnitus, causing more frequent spells, louder volume or a change in pitch.
Barometric Pressure
Our ears are very sensitive to changes in barometric (air) pressure. If the air pressure inside your ear is different from the pressure outside your head, it can inhibit the movement of sound waves through the ear and even cause discomfort or ear popping.
Heat
You’ve probably heard that heat makes things expand; in periods of extreme heat, the blood vessels and tissues surrounding your ears and sinuses may swell, which can alter pressure and circulation, which, as discussed in the two sections above, can then impact tinnitus.
Allergies
Late spring and early summer is the peak time for people who suffer from seasonal allergies. This chronic condition leads to inflamed and irritated airways, including the sinuses and throat. Our ears are directly connected to the nose and throat via the Eustachian tubes, which run from the middle ear to the back of the throat, and they are responsible for equalizing pressure inside your head. Swelling in the sinuses can impede the Eustachian tubes, leading to ear fullness and, for many, tinnitus spikes.
Sudden Changes
Sometimes, it’s less about how one single factor, such as heat or humidity, affects our bodies and more about how everything happens all of a sudden. Your body will acclimate to the new season, as it always does, but the transitory period between spring and summer may present some growing pains.
This is especially the case with the barometric pressure section above: it’s not low barometric pressure or high barometric pressure that causes tinnitus flare-ups (although many people do report flare-ups right before a storm, which is usually preceded by a sharp drop in barometric pressure), but rather the sudden change from high to low and vice versa.
Getting Help
When seasons are tough on your tinnitus, it helps to have a specialist in your corner who can help you manage your tinnitus. If your symptoms have been worsening with the changing of the seasons and you need relief, call us at Premier Medical Group to learn more about how we can help.