29/08/2025
Rheumatoid Arthritis and Hearing Loss.
Researchers have found that hearing loss and tinnitus (constant ringing, buzzing, or whistling in the ears) can be linked to rheumatoid arthritis. Hearing problems typically show up in older people who have had rheumatoid arthritis for many years.
It may surprise you to learn that if you have rheumatoid arthritis (RA), you're at an increased risk for ear problems – in particular, hearing loss and autoimmune ear disease. This is because RA affects the tiny bones, joints, and cartilage in the inner ear.
For most people with arthritis the likely culprits behind hearing problems are pain medications. High doses of aspirin and other salicylates may cause reversible hearing loss or ringing in the ears (tinnitus).
Joints between tiny bones inside the ear can be damaged by inflammatory arthritis, just like joints elsewhere in the body. While usually located at points of pressure under the skin, rheumatoid nodules sometimes develop in the ears and can interfere with hearing.
What is autoimmune ear disease?
Autoimmune inner ear disease (AIED) is an inflammatory condition of the inner ear. It occurs when the body's immune system attacks cells in the inner ear that are mistaken for a virus or bacteria. AIED is a rare disease occurring in less than one percent of the 28 million Americans with a hearing loss.
What Does Tinnitus Sound Like?
Some people report tinnitus sounding like:
• Hissing
• Ringing
• Screeching
• Roaring
Others say it sounds like:
• Whooshing
• Sirens
• Ocean waves
• Crickets
• Dial tones
• Clicking
• Even music
These signs can intertwine and variably change sometimes as well. Because tinnitus creates such a large range of noises and each person experiences tinnitus a bit differently, audiologists must customize their treatments for everyone’s tinnitus.
Does Tinnitus Go Away?
A lot of times, tinnitus will dissipate on its own no matter what the cause is. But this doesn't mean you should sit and wait weeks or months for it to go away. If you're experiencing tinnitus that continues for weeks and it impacts your quality of life negatively, you should speak with an audiologist.
Some individuals notice their tinnitus becomes worse or doesn't go away. Sometimes it can become so serious you find it hard to:
• Concentrate
• Hear
• Sleep
Your physician will work closely with you to come up with ways of reducing how severe the noise is and how it affects your life.
Is There a Cure for Tinnitus?
There isn't a cure for tinnitus, but it can be mild or severe, temporary, or persistent, or instant or gradual. The treatment's goal is helping you manage the perception of the noise in your head. Treatments for tinnitus might not exactly stop this perceived noise, but they could enhance your quality of life.
How Long Does Tinnitus Last?
How long tinnitus lasts depends on whether it is a temporary condition or chronic.
Temporary tinnitus can occur with occasional loud noise exposure. When ringing occurs simultaneously with a muffled noise, it could also mean you have noise-induced hearing loss. Usually, tinnitus symptoms will dissipate within 16-48 hours. But it could take a couple weeks in extreme cases. You can also trigger this ringing again with further exposure to very loud noises.
In some cases, the abnormal hearing sounds will last over six months, which is known as chronic tinnitus. This is common and could cause long-term problems, but it's rarely a sign you're having a medical issue or are going deaf. If you are a performing musician, go to concerts frequently, or are exposed often too loud noises, you might want to begin implementing steps for preventing long-term hearing loss.
What are the Causes of Tinnitus?
There are many potential causes of tinnitus, including the following:
1. Age-related hearing loss. Tinnitus's most common cause is loss of or damage to the tiny sensory hair cells in your inner ear's cochlea. This often occurs as you age.
2. Ear blockages and infections: Ear blockages from wax buildup or infections of the ear could cause tinnitus. If earwax or a foreign body causes tinnitus, you can make the tinnitus disappear by removing the wax or object.
3. Medications: Certain medicines like ibuprofen, aspirin, diuretics, and antibiotics can be "ototoxic." They can lead to inner ear damage, which can lead to tinnitus. Cancer medications, water pills, and some antidepressants can also cause “ringing in the ear”.
4. Middle ear bone stiffening: Also called otosclerosis, this condition can cause symptoms like vertigo (balance issues), dizziness and tinnitus.
5. Diabetes: Diabetes can cause issues with nerves and blood vessels inside your ears that could lead to tinnitus and hearing loss.
6. Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders: Tinnitus is sometimes a symptom of TMJ, however, an individual may mistake their tinnitus as a different issue and leave their TMJ untreated.
7. Cardiovascular diseases: If your tinnitus mimics a beating, pumping or pulsating sound, it might be due to blood vessel damage referred to as pulsatile tinnitus. Several common underlying cardiac reasons behind tinnitus are turbulent blood flow, high blood pressure, small artery malformations and heart disease.
8. Blood vessel disorders: Atherosclerosis and malformation of capillaries are among the blood vessel disorders that can be a cause of Tinnitus.
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