Tinnitus and Dizziness: Is There a Link?

Tinnitus and dizziness are both relatively common symptoms, although having one doesn’t necessarily mean you will develop the other. You could experience tinnitus and vertigo separately or because of different underlying factors.

However, because both conditions are symptoms of possible ear health problems or dysfunction that impact hearing and balance, clients with concurrent dizziness and tinnitus may be able to achieve relief rapidly by using targeted therapy and treatment to restore their hearing and thus resolve dizziness.

Dizziness, also known as vertigo, feels like the ground is spinning under your feet or is described as the sensation of standing at a very high precipice. In contrast, tinnitus is characterised by a distracting noise originating inside one or both ears, which nobody else can hear.

Both symptoms can be unpleasant, disrupt conversations and sleep, and, if left untreated, have the potential to become worse over time. Seeking independent, professional help from our knowledgeable audiology teams is a great way to get to the root cause and devise the right plan of action to restore your balance and hearing.

Key Takeaways:

• Tinnitus and vertigo – a type of imbalance or dizziness – can be connected since both conditions are impacted by the inner ear.
• Consulting an experienced audiologist to understand the cause of vertigo or tinnitus is often the first place to start, determining whether there are any injuries or infections in the ear that are causing your symptoms.
• Although many people with tinnitus experience dizziness, this can also be due to separate factors, and neither symptom can directly trigger the other.

The Connection Between Dizziness and Tinnitus

Dizziness and tinnitus can potentially be linked because both symptoms relate to the health of the inner ear. Tinnitus’s buzzing, ringing, or hissing noise can vary significantly in intensity, but when uncontrolled, it can reduce quality of life and cause profound sleep problems.

Vertigo is likewise a symptom that many people assume will go away by itself or will not require medical intervention. However, the feeling of nausea, sudden loss of balance, and sense of falling or instability can be distressing.

These two symptoms are sometimes connected because they can both be triggered by problems with the inner ear, vestibular system, and cochlea, which manage balance and hearing.

Both of these elements of your hearing are adjacent, which means damage or trauma to your inner ear can result in both symptoms at the same time or intermittently.

While having tinnitus and dizziness simultaneously is less common than having one or the other, an untreated issue within your inner ear that contributes to one symptom could deteriorate and cause you to start experiencing further or different symptoms.

Potential Conditions That Can Cause Simultaneous Tinnitus and Vertigo

It is always important to reiterate that symptoms like vertigo and tinnitus aren’t always indications that you have a serious condition or any medical disorder at all. Clients with dizziness and tinnitus often need corrective treatment to clean their ears, resolve infections, or allow damage to heal and recover.

Tinnitus and vertigo are also symptoms, not standalone conditions, and can be related to a diverse range of causes, such as exposure to continued loud or sustained noises or age-related and genetic changes to hearing.

However, a full ear and hearing assessment allows us to rule out any possible conditions that require treatment or determine where an alternative therapy would be beneficial.

1. Migraines

Migraines can be debilitating, and some specific forms of migraine headaches, called vestibular migraines, can make you feel dizzy and disorientated. During a migraine, spasms within the inner ear can mean you experience bouts of tinnitus or vertigo.

2. Labyrinthitis

This condition is the technical name for an infection impacting your labyrinth, a part of the inner ear that the cochlea and vestibular system sits inside – hence the potential that an infection can cause both tinnitus and vertigo at the same time, albeit temporarily until the infection is treated.

3. Meniere’s Disease

Meniere’s is another less common condition which can cause hearing loss, dizziness, tinnitus, and headaches. Many people report feeling as if their ears are full or pressured. Customised treatments can reduce the number and severity of episodes.

4. Otosclerosis

This condition is equally rare and relates to the abnormal growth of bone within the inner ear. It can affect hearing and cause gradual but progressive hearing loss. Depending on whether otosclerosis is mild or more severe, resolutions can include hearing aids, prosthetic hearing support devices, or surgery.

Do Tinnitus Symptoms Mean I Am Likely to Experience Vertigo?

Tinnitus is a symptom of damage, genetic changes to hearing, or issues relating to the health and function of the inner ear. Vertigo alone cannot cause tinnitus, and it cannot prompt it to develop.

However, both symptoms can occur together if they are triggered by the same problem or infection in your inner ear. The vast majority of cases are not serious and can be resolved, controlled or managed.

If you have any of the below symptoms, we advise you to seek urgent help to rule out anything more serious:

• Changes to your vision
• Sustained nausea or vomiting
• A sudden fall or difficulty walking or standing
• Persistent pressure in your ear

Otherwise, audiology professionals can suggest several tests and assessments to determine the underlying causes of tinnitus, using hearing, ear pressure, balance, and visual appraisals to determine the right course of action.

What do our audiologists say?

Tinnitus, characterised by a persistent ringing or buzzing in the ears, is often accompanied by dizziness or balance issues. This combination can be particularly distressing and may indicate underlying conditions such as Ménière’s disease, vestibular disorders, or even certain neurological issues. It’s crucial to seek professional evaluation to determine the cause and appropriate treatment.” — Lindsay Fletcher (née Stride), RHAD, BSHAA, FdA

Seeking Professional Help Managing and Treating Tinnitus and Dizziness

Booking a full hearing and ear health assessment is worthwhile if you notice any changes to your hearing, feel that tinnitus appears to be worsening, or start to experience periods of dizziness or more frequent spells of vertigo.

The correct treatment or therapy will depend on any underlying factors your audiologist discovers. Some causes are simple and quick to treat, and others require tailored tinnitus therapy to relieve and minimise the symptoms.

More complex conditions that exacerbate tinnitus and vertigo may require medications, although most people find that restoring good ear health and scheduling a series of highly effective tinnitus therapies provides excellent results.

Early intervention is strongly advisable to ensure that your symptoms do not become harder to live with over time.

If you’re looking to find out why you’re experiencing dizziness due to hearing complications, book a consultation at one of our hearing clinics today!