3 Ways Tinnitus Impacts Your Relationships

Tinnitus is a symptom related to a wide range of conditions and health concerns, that causes you to perceive noise that isn’t really there. It’s a symptom that varies greatly from person to person. It can be very intense and constant, and in most cases, it is hard to find the single cause. As a result, tinnitus can have a wide range of impacts on the lives of those suffering from it, including some impacts on their relationships with loved ones.

The toll on your emotional health

There are many different kinds of tinnitus, but even the less severe and more occasional varieties can have a profound impact on your mental health. After all, having a regularly present source of noise that you don’t know how to control can be incredibly trying. As a result, those living with tinnitus are more regular to suffer from depression, stress and anxiety. Each of these can negatively affect relationships. They can make it harder to spend time happily with families and partners and can make you more prone to outbursts of anger or bouts of sadness. As a result, many treatments for tinnitus focus not just on the symptom itself but also helping the patient live with it and better manage their reactions to it.

Intimacy issues

People who suffer from tinnitus regularly report that they have issues regarding their romantic partners. Many complain of a decreased sex drive as well as an overall drop in intimacy between them and their partners. In part, this can be due to the significant loss of sleep that tinnitus can cause. Tinnitus is often most troubling at night, which means that those suffering from it often suffer from sleep deprivation. This can lead to a general loss of energy and chronic issues with exhaustion. Furthermore, many people suffering from tinnitus report that their partners have trouble understanding their condition.

Problems communicating

Tinnitus can make it difficult to effectively communicate with your loved ones for a variety of reasons. As mentioned, the impact it has on sleep can make it much harder to maintain your focus on a conversation. What’s more, tinnitus can frequently interrupt you when you’re trying to give your loved ones all your attention. A sound coming out of nowhere that can’t be turned off can understandably be distracting and annoying. Because of the aforementioned issues of partners and loved ones failing to fully understand the condition, this adds even more difficulty. Ensuring that they know about the tinnitus and its effects can help them become a little more understanding when you have trouble communicating, but you should look for treatment options to help you manage it, too.

Your audiologist is the health provider most equipped to deal with all conditions related to hearing and balance, including tinnitus. There is a wide range of treatments available, from the use of hearing aids to tinnitus-focused therapy. If you’re concerned about the effect that tinnitus could have on your relationship, make an appointment so you can start searching the treatment that can best help you.