Today, approximately 740 million people across the globe suffer from the constant ringing or buzzing in the ears referred to as tinnitus. As a result, recent research indicates that dietary factors can help prevent or treat this painful and sometimes debilitating disease. Science takes a very definitive stance on the difference caffeine’s impact on acute versus chronic tinnitus. It looks at the differential impact on individuals with as well as without baseline hearing loss.
Virginia Toth, AuD, CCC-A, oversees audiology for the Tinnitus and Balance Program at Hackensack Meridian JFK Johnson Rehabilitation Institute in New Jersey. Here are her reflections, combined with highlights of some of the most important research discoveries. Though not directly involved in the research, she highlighted as especially encouraging the focus of the study on reducing the risk of developing tinnitus. She cautioned to take these conclusions with a grain of salt.
“Any research providing information on how to reduce the risk of developing tinnitus is always positive,” stated Virginia Toth, AuD, CCC-A. “Readers do need to be cautious with interpreting this research.”
Rebecca Lewis, AuD, an audiologist and advocate, discussed what she learned. She currently serves as the audiology director of the Adult & Pediatric Cochlear Implant Program at the Pacific Neuroscience Institute located in Santa Monica, CA. Though not involved with the study herself, she emphasized the positive impact a balanced lifestyle, including a nutritious diet, can have on easing tinnitus symptoms.
“A healthy diet could potentially help with tinnitus,” remarked Rebecca Lewis, AuD.
A study published in February 2020 found that a higher intake of vitamin B12 and a high-protein diet could reduce the risk of developing tinnitus. This conclusion fits well with the increasing focus on personalized medicine—the idea that all treatment and prevention should be tailored to individual needs. We want to start considering differences in genetics, preexisting conditions, diet, etc. so we can improve how we manage tinnitus,” said Lewis.
“In medicine we are moving toward personalized approaches to treatment and prevention,” said Lewis.
The study’s outcomes have piqued curiosity among scientists such as Artsma, who feel that lifestyle factors could play a role in increasing tinnitus risk. Artsma said that she was excited about including dietary habits into broader tinnitus management strategies.
“While treatments like hearing aids and sound therapy can help manage symptoms, prevention is always preferable. If we can identify modifiable risk factors such as diet, then I believe it gives patients more control over their health,” said Artsma.
Despite these positive findings, both Toth and Lewis are adamant about the need for more research. This could include clinical trials to determine the impact of various dietary patterns on the severity and development of tinnitus.
“It would be nice to see clinical trials to assess the impact of dietary patterns on tinnitus severity to help clarify whether modifying diet could slow or halt tinnitus progression,” Lewis suggested.
Longitudinal studies that follow diet habits and tinnitus development over longer periods of time could create stronger cause and effect connections. Investigating more objective measures, such as imaging studies and auditory system tests, would help elucidate diet-related changes that may affect subjective tinnitus.
“Caffeine-specific research that differentiates between acute and chronic tinnitus and across populations with preexisting hearing loss [versus] those without hearing loss. It would also be interesting to learn more about objective measures to assess tinnitus — imaging studies and auditory system tests — to assess diet related changes,” Lewis added.
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