Understanding the link between thyroid disorders & tinnitus

Living with a thyroid disorder can impact your energy, mood and, surprisingly, even your hearing. In this article, we are breaking down the connection between thyroid issues and tinnitus, along with sharing some helpful advice for managing both conditions.

Our bodies use hormones to regulate many vital functions. But where do hormones come from? They are secreted by various glands throughout our bodies—one of which is the thyroid. Located at the front of your neck, this small, butterfly-shaped gland produces hormones that control your energy levels, growth and even regulate your metabolism.¹

So how does the thyroid affect your hearing? In some cases, your thyroid gland may not produce the right level of hormones, which can lead to hearing loss or even vertigo. You might be surprised to learn that there is even a connection between your thyroid and tinnitus.

Thyroid disorders come in a few common forms:

• Hypothyroidism: This condition is caused by a thyroid that does not produce enough hormones, which causes your metabolism to slow down. Common symptoms include feeling weak or tired, shortness of breath, low blood pressure, sensitivity to cold or weight gain.²
• Hyperthyroidism: Sometimes your thyroid can produce too many hormones, causing your metabolism to go into overdrive. Common symptoms include a noticeably enlarged thyroid gland, a rapid heartbeat, weight loss despite an increased appetite and feeling overly jittery.³
• Hashimoto’s disease: This is an autoimmune disorder where your body attacks your thyroid, often causing hypothyroidism over time. Symptoms may include fatigue, dry skin, constipation, cold intolerance, decreased sweating or weight gain.⁴
• Graves’ disease: Another autoimmune issue, Graves’ is the most common cause behind overactive thyroid glands. It causes your body to speed up hormone production and common symptoms include bulging eyes, vision problems, weight loss and even anxiety.⁵
• Goiter: This is the term for abnormal thyroid enlargement. The condition can be harmless, but it may affect a variety of things, from hormone production to breathing and swallowing.⁶
• Thyroiditis: Inflammation of the thyroid, often resulting from a viral or autoimmune infection. This condition has many overlapping symptoms with other thyroid conditions, and depending on how it affects the thyroid, may be similar to either hypo- or hyperthyroidism.⁷

Tinnitus is the perception of noise or ringing in the ears with no external source. The most common tinnitus symptoms include hearing a buzzing or ringing sound that is not actually there. Millions of people deal with it, and common ear ringing causes include things like hearing loss, exposure to loud noises and thyroid issues.

People can develop tinnitus for many reasons. Some common risk factors include thyroid disorders, getting older, and exposure to loud noises (like going to concerts without ear protection). Knowing these common causes of tinnitus can help you take action, like wearing earplugs at concerts or managing your thyroid health with the help of your doctor and appropriate medication.

Is there a link between hypothyroidism and tinnitus? What about hyperthyroidism and tinnitus? Yes—hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism can both make tinnitus worse. When your thyroid is underactive (hypothyroidism), the sluggish cell function might lead to hearing issues. And when it’s overactive (hyperthyroidism), increased anxiety can heighten your sensitivity to noise (hyperacusis), making the ringing even more noticeable or an intolerance to loud sounds.

There is proven a link between hypothyroidism and tinnitus—so, if you’re experiencing ear ringing, thyroid issues might be the cause. Large medical studies show that people with hypothyroidism are more prone to developing tinnitus or other hearing issues, including hearing loss.⁸ Hypothyroidism slows down your metabolism, which affects your blood pressure. This leads to changes in your circulation, which is especially noticeable in areas that have tiny, intricate blood supplies , like the inner ear. So if you’re experiencing ringing in your ears, thyroiid might be an option worth exploring with your doctor to provide relief.

Treating the source of the problem can often help relieve the symptoms of tinnitus. Many patients find that after taking medication to treat hyperthyroidism, like levothyroxine, tinnitus symptoms are reduced or go away entirely. It’s important to talk with your doctor before taking new medication. They can advise you on the best treatment options and help manage symptoms that arise.

Wondering if there’s a hypothyroidism/tinnitus cure? Or even a Hashimoto’s  disease/tinnitus treatment out there? While there is no cure for hypothyroidism or Hashimoto’s disease, tinnitus and thyroid issues can be managed together. Hormone replacement therapy is a successful way to manage hypothyroidism, and lifestyle changes like reducing caffeine, getting regular exercise, and practicing stress relief techniques can make a big difference in the intensity of tinnitus symptoms.

Wondering if there’s such a thing as thyroid deafness? Thyroid disorders, especially hypothyroidism, can affect your hearing over time and cause both sensorineural and conductive hearing loss. When thyroid hormone levels are off, the body struggles with regulating processes like blood flow, which can impact hearing. For more information, check out our article on how hearing loss occurs.

For some dealing with hearing loss, thyroid disorders may be to blame.  But hearing loss related to hypothyroidism can potentially be reversible with hormone treatment.⁹ Thyroid hormone replacement therapy is the process of replacing lost hormones with lab-made thyroid hormones. This helps get your thyroid levels back on track and has been shown to help improve hearing loss in less advanced stages of thyroid disorders.

Preventing hearing loss when dealing with a thyroid disorder is possible. Regular check-ups to monitor your thyroid levels, limiting loud noise exposure or wearing protection for the ears, and seeking early treatment for any hearing issues can help keep your hearing healthy.

While it is uncommon for issues with the thyroid and ear blockages to be related, thyroid problems can cause ear pain. Thyroid-related ear pain is most often caused by inflammation of the thyroid gland, which can cause pain to radiate from the neck up into the ear. In such cases, the inflammation can be caused by an upper respiratory infection or even thyroid cancer. In rare cases, earaches and thyroid issues may be caused by thyroid nodules, which are usually benign.¹⁰ Talk to your doctor if you have known thyroid issues and are experiencing ear blockages, earaches or pain that radiates from your neck to your ears.

Hypothyroidism and Meniere’s disease, a condition affecting the inner ear, may be more connected than previously thought. Meniere’s disease causes symptoms like vertigo, hearing loss and tinnitus.

And, while there is no singular known cause for Meniere’s disease, recent research suggests that hypothyroidism could play a role in this disorder. In a 2016 study of patients with Meniere’s disease, almost half were found to have hypothyroidism. When treated with thyroid hormone supplements, all patients showed significant improvement in their symptoms within 12 weeks.¹¹ This finding highlights the importance of screening for thyroid issues in patients with Meniere’s disease, as addressing hypothyroidism might help manage the condition more effectively.

Dizziness and low thyroid hormone production are often linked. The condition of hypothyroidism can cause low blood pressure, which in turn can cause the feeling of dizziness, especially with sudden changes like standing up. Additionally, clinical studies have shown that patients with hypothyroidism have an increased risk of developing BPPV , the most common form of vertigo.¹²