If stressful events make you feel frustrated or angry, this is totally normal. But if you don’t learn how to manage these feelings in a positive way, your health can be affected. In fact, chronic frustration and anger is linked to hearing loss! We review what the research shows on this topic below.
Impact of Frustration & Anger on Blood Pressure
One study established a link between trouble processing emotions such as anger with high blood pressure (BP).
The study, entitled, “Impact of anger expression on blood pressure levels in white-collar workers with low-coping behavior,” was published in the journal Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine in 2000.
For the study, researchers examined data from a cross-sectional study of 790 Japanese male workers ages 20 to 60. They claim, “This study suggests that male workers who do not express their anger have a higher probability of developing high BP when they have no or few stress coping behaviors.”
Impact of High Blood Pressure on Hearing
High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is extremely common. A 2021 study reports that it affects one in four individuals.
This study, called, “Association Between Hypertension and Hearing Loss,” involved researchers examining data from 300 patients with documented hypertension between the ages of 21 and 50, as well as data from another 300 participants who did not have hypertension.
They concluded, “Based on our study, HTN is positively correlated with hearing loss. Therefore, longstanding hypertensive patients should be screened regularly in order to assess the status of their hearing abilities.”
Why the Link?
High blood pressure harms your body in multiple ways. One of these ways is that it damages the arteries, causing them to narrow. Your arteries take oxygen and nutrients to your cells. When they are too narrow, your cells are deprived of these necessities.
The mechanisms that allow you to hear, particularly within the inner ear, are extremely delicate and sensitive to changes in blood flow. If the sensory cells in the cochlea don’t receive enough oxygen, they can become damaged or die. Once dead, they do not regenerate, and the result is permanent sensorineural hearing loss.
The Good News
There are many ways you can work to manage feelings like frustration and anger, and ultimately lower your blood pressure. For example, you can:
- Learn mindfulness and meditate.
- Take classes at School Street Yoga in Waterville.
- Read self-help books.
- Talk to a counselor.
To learn more or to schedule an appointment with a hearing expert, call Gary D. Schwartzberg, Au.D., Doctor of Audiology today.