Time to Read: 8 minutes
The answer is yes. Stress can affect your ability to hear and there are two main reasons why.
Your brain is trying to prioritise information
When we’re not feeling stressed and the world is working as it should, our brains take it easy. Our grey matter only pays enough attention to the world around us to get by.
For example when we go to pick up a cup of coffee, we do it without thinking. It doesn’t matter to us at that moment, that the ceramic coffee mug is 15 cm tall with a blue glaze. In fact, you might be hard pressed to recall exactly what the mug looked like after you’ve finished the last drop.
This is known as ‘low resolution perception’.
Mug of coffee → Low resolution perception
A 15cm tall ceramic mug, slightly conical in shape made of white clay with a blue outer glaze and white inner glaze with a wide, curved handle containing black coffee (made from ground roasted Arabica beans) which is 75-degrees centigrade → High resolution perception
But when you simply want a cup of coffee, what the mug looks like is not important. Near enough is good enough for our brains, as long as we’re getting that caffeine.
That’s a good thing.
If we looked at everything we come across at that super high resolution it would be impossible to make decisions or concentrate on one thing at a time. It also conserves brain power for when it is really needed.
And the time it’s needed is when you’re under stress.
Your brain is trying to cope with stress
Not all stress is bad.
Stress is useful when you need to concentrate on something important and need that ‘high resolution focus’.
The more we need to concentrate on something, the narrower our focus becomes, which means we filter out the information we don’t need and retain only the information we can use in that moment.
And that can take the form of selective hearing. We have an article on this here.
This form of stress tends to be short-lived and once the need for concentration is over, your brain puts more priority into hearing sounds around you.
That’s the good news.
Bad stress
The bad news is that unless the stress is managed, you might find it difficult to hear and process conversations. That loss might become permanent.
The fragile hairs in the inner ear rely on a constant supply of oxygen and nutrients through the blood. In periods of high stress adrenaline reduces blood circulation. If that disruption is sustained over a long period of time, the hair cells can become damaged which results in hearing loss.
Medical conditions such as high blood pressure, often associated with stress, are bad for your overall health and wellbeing. It can also affect your hearing with symptoms that include:
- Tinnitus (ringing in the ears)
- Pressure or pain the air
- Ears that feel stuffed up or blocked
- Sounds that seem muffled or indistinct
But some good news
And now we come back to the good news.
Stress can be managed and one of the best ways to deal with stress is to exercise. We have an article on how exercise can help your hearing health.
Read more: Exercise is good for your hearing
Other tips from the American Psychological Association on managing stress are:
- Step away from your cause of stress. Taking a 20 minute break away from a frustrating task can help change your perspective and reduce your stress levels.
- Talk to a friend. A problem shared really is a problem halved. If you do not have anyone you feel comfortable talking to, there are professional counselling and support services available
- Find destress techniques. Watch a favourite TV comedy series, take the dog for a walk in the park, spend some time in nature for some quiet contemplation. Whatever you choose, make time to do it regularly as a part of your daily mental health routine.
