I have Visual Snow, and I have Tinnitus. Visual Snow first showed up for me in 2019 after a really bad ocular migraine. Tinnitus first showed up in February, 2023.
Just like most of the people that have been diagnosed with these conditions, I’ve tried pretty much anything I can do to help alleviate them, with no success. Back in September 2023 I did a routine blood test my doctor had asked me to do since we hadn’t checked that in a while. It showed elevated TSH levels for the first time, which means I might have an underactive Thyroid. I don’t know for sure yet, I’ll find out after a follow up blood test in October. Keep in mind that everyone is different and no matter what happens with me, it can be different for you. This condition is also known as Hashimoto’s Disease. It’s an auto-immune disease.
Anyway, while I’ve been dOiNg My OwN rEsEaRcH on this stuff, I’ve learned that Tinnitus is quite commonly one of the symptoms for Thyroid problems. Untreated Thyroid problems can also cause actual hearing damage, too. I actually had a hearing test last week (all good) where the Audiologist also backed that up. Also? Fun fact: caffeine is known to make the ringing worse. Before my blood test which showed the elevated levels, I had never been told this information or seen anyone mention it online. If I had known, I would have done the blood test a long time ago lol
Tinnitus can of course also just come as part of the Visual Snow package, but, if this is something you haven’t looked into… maybe it’s something? There’s no harm in checking to see if you may have a wonky Thyroid. The symptoms that are associated with this stuff come on very gradually and it may not be obvious that shit is going sideways – it certainly wasn’t for me.
Some reading from reputable sources:
- https://www.healthline.com/health/hypothyroidism-and-tinnitus
- https://www.signia.net/en/blog/global/2018-07-18-connection-between-thyroid-disease-and-hearing-loss/
- https://www.healthyhearing.com/report/53318-Thyroid-disease-and-hearing-loss-tinnitus-hypothyroidism-hashimotos
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6116174/
- https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fendo.2021.741719/full
Stats from ChatGPT. It’s apparently somewhat common:
- An estimated 20 million people in the United States have thyroid disease
- As many as 60% of people with thyroid disease are not aware that they have it
- Hypothyroidism is about 7.5 times more common than hyperthyroidism
- The incidence of the overt form (full blown hypothyroidism) thyroid disease is 2% in women and 0.2% in men
- The incidence of Sub-clinical hypothyroidism is 6-8% in women and 3% in men
- The incidence of pregnant women who develop hypothyroidism is 2.5%
- In Canada, recent studies indicate that 1 in 10 Canadians suffer from a thyroid condition of one type or another2. Of those, as many as 50% are undiagnosed
Asking ChatGPT – “How commonly do people develop tinnitus from having a thyroid condition?”
“Tinnitus, a ringing sound in the ears, is more common in people with thyroid conditions. One study estimated that 25 percent of hypothyroid patients have evidence of some degree of mild to moderate sensorineural hearing loss. Symptoms like tinnitus are more common with hypothyroidism, and hearing loss typically develops over time.
In addition, a large population-based study suggests patients with diagnosed hyperthyroidism were more prone to develop tinnitus. The incidence rate of tinnitus in the hyperthyroidism cohort was significantly higher (7.86 vs. 5.05 per 1000 person-years) than that in the non-hyperthyroidism cohort. It’s important to note that treating the thyroid condition may help relieve tinnitus.”
If you already knew all of this, well I’m sorry for wasting your time :Þ
Knowledge is power!