Peter studied hearing aid fitting at the world headquarters of Starkey Labs. He was able to have hands on training with the company’s founder, Bill Austin. He has also undergone advanced training in the smallest, nearly invisible style hearing aids, and has expanded his education by traveling to Denmark to learn directly from European hearing aid manufacturers. He continues to attend conferences and training seminars to stay current on the rapidly evolving world of hearing aid technology.
Latest posts by Peter Lucier, HIS (see all)
- Signs You May Need a Hearing Test and What to Expect - November 16, 2024
- Rechargeable Hearing Aids vs. Disposable Batteries - November 6, 2024
- Public Speaking and Overcoming Hearing Loss - October 27, 2024
Do you suffer from migraines? If you do, you know that they are more than just a normal headache. They often begin with subtle mental and physical warning signs such as exhaustion, mood swings, cravings for sugar, extreme thirst, or stiffness in the neck. Other times it can begin with nausea or sensitivity to light. When the pounding nauseous pain arrives, it is grueling and feels inescapable, forcing many to cancel plans and lay down with their eyes covered in a dark quiet room until the sensation passes. While there are many suspected causes of migraines such as stress flashing lights, loud noise, and strong smells can all cause migraines it is lesser-known that hearing loss and tinnitus could be connected as well.
A Headache or a Migraine?
It can often be difficult to tell the difference at first between migraine and headache. While headaches cause pain in the head, face, or upper neck, and can vary in frequency and intensity migraines are a neurological disease with the potential to invoke debilitating throbbing pain, leaving an individual incapacitated in bed for days. Movement, light, sound, and other triggers may cause symptoms like pain, tiredness, nausea, fluorescent lights, numbness and tingling, irritability, difficulty speaking, temporary loss of vision, and more. About 12% of Americans have this disorder, which is often genetic, while research shows that it’s the sixth most disabling disease in the world.
Understanding the Connection Between Hearing Loss and Migraines
So, what is the connection between hearing loss and migraines? A team of researchers at Assiut University Hospital in Egypt sought to solidify this correlation. From a test study of 58 migraine sufferers, they identified two-thirds with one or more abnormalities within the inner ear such as cochlea function or auditory pathways. While they concluded that they needed further research to conclude findings on exactly how migraines can cause hearing loss they hypothesize it could be due to a loss of blood supply in the auditory system. It appeared upon inspection that blood supply to the auditory system was notably lower during migraine attacks.
Constriction to the Inner Ear During Migraine
Further research from JAMA neurology in May 2020 explored migraines’ effects on the inner ear. They suspected that due to decreased blood flow during attacks, migraines could contribute to hearing loss. The researchers observed that during a migraine, vasospasm (a sudden constriction) of the labyrinthine arteries can cut off the supply of blood to the auditory system. While we hear with our ears, the sound is delivered to our brain via tiny hair cells in the inner ear dependent on a regular supply of blood. When the blood is constricted to the inner ear as is common in migraines it could contribute to cell death of these essential sound delivery systems to the brain, leaving patients with permanent hearing loss.
Migraine Headaches and Tinnitus
Do you ever suffer from a ringing in your ears that seems to come from the inside of your head? This is called tinnitus and while it is not always caused by hearing loss, 90% of people who suffer from tinnitus also suffer from hearing loss. Studies have shown those who suffer from migraines may be at an increased risk for experiencing ringing of the ears (tinnitus) as well. One theory for this revolves around damage to our inner ear and how it can manifest tinnitus. It is theorized that when the tiny hair cells which send sound to our brain become damaged, due to insufficient blood supply it can cause cells to send phantom sound or feedback to the brain, which is the manifested symptoms of tinnitus.
Seeking Help
Migraines are a debilitating condition, and you must become aware of the triggers for it in your life. If you find that certain smells or bright lights trigger migraines all too often, it is important to strategize with your doctor on how you can avoid or reduce these exposures. Similarly, living with unaddressed hearing loss can not only be confusing and alienating but stressful – a key cause of migraines in many. By addressing your hearing loss, you are not only enhancing your ability to hear but reducing the amount of stress, due to strained social situations, which hearing loss often is the cause. To find out more, schedule a hearing exam today.