When most people think of anemia, they just think of it as a ‘pale skin’ problem. But, anemia is a serious condition that can cause a number of disorders , one of which is Tinnitus. Can anemia cause a ringing in the ears? What is the anemia and Tinnitus connection? Will taking iron supplements end Tinnitus caused by anemia? Let’s explore.
How can anemia affect your hearing and then cause Tinnitus?
How Anemia causes hearing loss?
Anemia essentially means you have an iron deficiency. The iron in your blood is what regulates hemoglobin production. Around 70% of the iron in your body is found in hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is a protein that carries blood via your red blood cells, to various organs in the body. So, when hemoglobin levels are low, your organs receive less than an optimal supply of blood.
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The cochlea in your ears are very reliant on oxygen supplied by your blood. It’s essentially their only source of nutrients. This study shows how a lack of oxygen supply causes ATP deletion in the cochlea. It also explains how it takes just one minute for the cochlea in rats to become hypoxic or Ischemic (devoid of oxygen), when arterial supply is compromised.
Reduced blood flow causes your cochlea to malfunction. When your cochlea begins to malfunction, your brain begins to receive less auditory inputs. In other words, you begin to suffer from some form of hearing loss. Hearing loss doesn’t always mean that you are deaf. Sometimes, you can perfectly hear some frequencies but not all frequencies. This hearing loss can then cause Tinnitus, as explained in the next section.
How Anemia Induced Hearing Loss Then Causes Tinnitus?
Did you know that 80% of people with Tinnitus also have some form of hearing loss. When your brain begins to register your hearing loss, it tries to compensate for the lack of auditory signals. To do this, it invents a ringing, clicking or hissing sound that you now know as Tinnitus. This is why the ringing in your ears is a sound that only you can hear. This is different from pulsatile tinnitus, which can also be caused by anemia. More on that later. With pulsatile Tinnitus, a doctor can hear the whooshing or roaring sounds that are often rhythmic with your heartbeat.
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Coming back to regular Tinnitus, iron deficiency can cause hearing loss which can then cause Tinnitus. This study examined 429 patients with Tinnitus and found that 61% of those study subjects had an iron deficiency.
Anemia and Pulsatile Tinnitus
Anemia decreases blood viscosity. When the blood is less viscous, blood flow is increased. This can then cause various problems such as an increase in arterial pulse rate and other abnormalities like systolic bruits, venous hums and capillary pulsations. All this can result in pulsatile Tinnitus that is often a whooshing or roaring sound that coincides with your heart rate.
Can taking Iron supplements or a diet rich in Iron make Tinnitus go away?
This will depend on the extent of hearing loss you suffer from. Hearing loss can be both temporary and permanent. If you suffer from Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss (SSHL), there’s a 96.4% chance that your hearing loss is permanent. When hearing loss is permanent, Tinnitus can persist permanently as well. In such cases, there is little chance that supplementing Iron in your diet or as supplements will reverse Tinnitus.
But, if your hearing loss is temporary, like when caused by exposure to loud noises, there is a chance that Iron supplements or an iron rich diet can provide enough oxygen replenishment to help repair or rejuvenate the cells in your ear. Hearing can be restored to normal and your Tinnitus could shut off like a switch.
How to tell if you have anemia?
A lot of people try to self-diagnose their iron deficiency by trying to self-examine their eyes, skin or nails. Though there are some tell-tale visual signs that can indicate iron deficiency, only a blood test reviewed by a licensed doctor can confirm an iron deficiency and its extent and impact on your health.
You can use the following symptoms of iron deficiency as a starting point to investigate Iron levels in your body.
Common Symptoms of Iron Deficiency
- Pale skin
- Tiredness or fatigue
- Foggy brain
- Chest pain, palpitations and shortness of breath
- Brittle nails
- Soreness in the tongue
- Headaches
- Cold feet and hands
Less Common Symptoms of Iron Deficiency
- Craving to eat ice, paper or clay
- Hair loss
- Restless leg syndrome
- Painful mouth ulcers
What causes Anemia?
Menstruation and bleeding
Women are more at risk of developing anemia due to blood loss caused by menstruation. Women are at an increased risk during pregnancy as well. Older people who suffer from cancer or inflammation induced bleeding also have a tendency to be anemic.
Vitamin B 12 Deficiency
A vitamin B 12 deficiency can cause a condition called pernicious anemia. When someone suffers from pernicious anemia, consuming iron supplements or a diet rich in Iron will not boost their iron levels as the lack of Vitamin B 12 will mean that iron simply can’t be processed in the body. Vitamin B 12 deficiency and Tinnitus have a connection as well. Chronic folate deficiency can also possibly trigger anemia.
A Diet poor in Iron
A diet poor in Iron levels is the primary cause of anemia. The human body needs both heme iron and non-heme iron. Heme iron comes from animal meat sources such as red meat, poultry and seafood while non-heme iron comes from beans, nuts and dark leafy vegetables.
Heme iron is more easily absorbed by the body. This is why vegans or vegetarians who try to get their iron from leafy vegetables often still don’t get enough iron, as most of the iron goes unabsorbed.
The foods you eat along with iron-rich foods also dictate how much iron your body will absorb. For example, caffeine taken close to mealtimes reduces iron absorbency. Vitamin C on the other hand increases iron absorbency. Also, a healthy diet requires adequate consumption of water. Dehydration and anemia go hand in hand. In fact, dehydration on its own cause Tinnitus as well, though it is rare.
Diseases and other conditions
Diseases and health conditions such as cancer, HIV, arthritis, Crohn’s disease, Celiac disease, Sickle Cell anemia can cause anemia as well. Treatment of anemia in such cases will require a treatment or management of these underlying diseases.
Thyroid Problems
Hypothyroidism or low thyroid levels can potentially cause anemia. In fact, anemia is often the first symptom expressed after an onset of hypothyroidism. Thyroid function and Tinnitus have a connection as well.
Too much iron is also a problem!
When you think your iron deficiency is causing your Tinnitus or other symptoms, you must be careful not to go overboard with radical changes to your diet or with the amount of iron supplements you take. Too much iron is as bad as too little iron.
Iron toxicity, especially when chronic, can lead to liver damage and swelling. Other symptoms include abdominal pain, skin darkening, weight loss and fatigue and lethargy.
If it was indeed anemia causing your Tinnitus, upping your iron intake might help Tinnitus resolve or dial down. And, you will typically experience these tinnitus going away signs before it starts to taper down.
