According to leading experts, common vitamin deficiencies caused by poor diet may be the cause of an increase in tinnitus cases.
The condition, which causes patients to hear phantom sounds often described as ringing, hissing, buzzing or whooshing noises, affects about 7.6 million adults. There are no approved treatments for tinnitus and the condition can last for years – even decades.
It is not a disease in itself, but rather a symptom often related to hearing loss, exposure to loud noise, or ear blockages. Although most common in older adults, cases of tinnitus are also increasing among young people.
One study found that tinnitus among young adults has increased by more than a third over the past two decades and now affects about 2.3 million of them.
Most cases are related to inner ear damage associated with hearing loss. Experts believe that damage to sensory hair cells in the inner ear often causes the brain to ‘fill in’ missing auditory signals, with experts blaming factors such as listening to music too loudly through headphones.
But some specialists believe that tinnitus may be caused by certain vitamin deficiencies – particularly iron, folic acid and vitamin B12, three essential nutrients that the body cannot produce on its own.
Iron can be found in red meat, beans and dark leafy vegetables; folic acid is found in spinach, citrus fruits and fortified cereals, and vitamin B12 is found in meat, fish and dairy products.
As cases of tinnitus increase among young adults, studies suggest that deficiencies in B12, folic acid and iron could mean damage to the cochlear nerve, causing tinnitus.
Rachel Melinek was plagued by tinnitus for years. After discovering she had low folic acid levels, she adjusted her diet and her symptoms are much less dramatic
‘Iron, folic acid and vitamin B12 help keep your nerves healthy,’ says Dr Sue Pavord, consultant haematologist at Oxford University Hospitals and associate professor at the University of Oxford. ‘They protect and maintain myelin, the sheath that covers your nerves. Without that myelin, the nerve can become damaged.
‘If the auditory nerve, which carries sound signals from the ear to the brain, loses its protective covering because there is not enough B12, folic acid or iron, it becomes damaged. This can then cause tinnitus.’
All three deficiencies have similar symptoms: fatigue, pale skin and shortness of breath. Experts say anyone with these problems should go to their doctor and request a blood test.
These deficiencies can be treated with targeted supplements, such as oral iron tablets for iron deficiency, daily folic acid pills for folic acid supplementation, and vitamin B12 administered via oral pills or regular injections.
Some experts are calling on the NHS to test the vitamin levels of tinnitus patients, saying correcting deficiencies could improve inner ear health.
‘The tinnitus came on when I was lying down, making it difficult to relax or go to sleep,’ says Rachel, an administration worker from north London.
‘It is very important for anyone with tinnitus to have their vitamin levels checked as it is a treatable factor,’ says Dr Pavord.
Some tinnitus patients have reported notable improvements after being treated for a vitamin deficiency. One of them is Rachel Melinek, 44, who was plagued for years by a high-pitched ringing and ringing sound in her ears.
‘The tinnitus came on when I was lying down, making it difficult to relax or go to sleep,’ says Rachel, an administration worker from north London. She later developed other symptoms, including feeling unusually cold even indoors, bouts of extreme fatigue and brain fog.
Rachel’s GP eventually carried out a blood test which showed she had a mild folic acid deficiency. Following their advice, Rachel started tracking her diet with a nutrition app to identify deficiencies.
“My dietary intake of certain nutrients, particularly iron and folic acid, was below the recommended amount,” she says. ‘I increased the folic acid sources in my diet, such as beans and lentils, and took a low-dose iron supplement.
“I learned that caffeine and even some foods can affect the way you absorb iron, so I stopped drinking tea or coffee too close to iron-rich meals or my supplements.”
Over time, Rachel noticed that her tinnitus became much less bothersome. “Now I only have it occasionally, and it’s much milder,” she says.
