Research has suggested that people who have had tinnitus might also have an increased risk of dementia. Tinnitus and dementia both relate to how some parts of the brain process signals and communicate with each other.

Tinnitus is a common condition. It causes the sensation of sounds that do not have a source outside the ear. People often hear a ringing sound, but it may present as buzzing or roaring.

Many people with tinnitus also have some hearing loss, and some contributing factors include extreme noise exposure, medications, ear infections, or head and neck trauma. Some chronic conditions also cause tinnitus.

Dementias are a group of degenerative brain disorders that lead to a gradual loss of function in thinking, reasoning, and memory that impairs daily life. Dementia also causes changes in emotional expression and personality.

Communication between different areas of the brain is crucial for thinking and decision making. A weakening in this communication contributes to dementia symptoms. Hearing loss is linked to both dementia and tinnitus. Some studies have verified that there is a link between dementia and tinnitus, and it is not clear whether the association is always related to hearing loss, or whether these conditions affect each other independent of hearing loss.

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Research has found significant links between tinnitus and dementia risk. There are several underlying nerve changes that cause the sensation of tinnitus, and sometimesTrusted Source inner ear damage can change the nerve signal as it reaches the brain’s sound-processing centers, known as the auditory cortex.

According to the National Institute for Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, tinnitus may also result from faulty interactions between other nerve circuits and the auditory cortex. These can also contribute to changes in the parts of the brain that process attention and emotion.

The link between tinnitus and brain changes might contribute to the increased risk of dementia in those who have had it. These processes might compound each other because, according to the National Institute on Aging (NIA), dementia also results from changesTrusted Source in how different brain regions communicate with one another.

What does the research say?

A 2021 studyTrusted Source involving 2,616 people found that those in the sample with a previous tinnitus diagnosis had links to an increased dementia risk of 68% compared to those with no pre-existing tinnitus. A more recent reviewTrusted Source linked hearing loss in mid-life as a risk factor for dementia, although it did not specify tinnitus.

A 2024 meta-analysis supported this association between tinnitus and dementia. Data from 17 studies linked tinnitus to a higher risk of a decline in learning skills due to dementia, reduced attention to sound, anxiety, depression, and worse sleep. Individuals aged 60 years also experienced more significant symptoms of cognitive impairments than those under 60 years of age.

However, a 2022 reviewTrusted Source linked tinnitus to increased cognitive function. The study authors suggested that a study on older Hispanic adults found that the sound processing centers of the brain may be working harder to compensate for reduced input from the ears and increase how people with hearing impairment understand speech.

According to the authors, this phenomenon is known as stochastic resonances and may actually decrease cognitive decline.

Auditory therapy or cognitive skills training could be beneficial for a person with dementia to help improve their hearing and to help prevent dementia. A person can discuss options with their doctor to get recommendations for a professional therapy program or at-home exercises.

Why might tinnitus contribute to dementia development?

Another review from 2020Trusted Source explained that a part of the brain called the medial temporal lobe may interact with the way dementia develops. The medial temporal lobe plays a role in processing sounds, working memory, and recognizing objects, and hearing loss may link to impaired thought processes later in life.

The review also suggested that people with impaired hearing might need to assign more resources in the brain to listening situations, meaning that those resources are not available for functions such as attention, language processing, or working memory.

More research is necessary on the causes of both tinnitus and dementia to fully understand why tinnitus appears to increase the risk.

Dementia is progressive, meaning it gets worse over time. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, the warning signs of dementia include:

  • memory problems that disrupt daily life
  • difficulty in solving routine problems or completing familiar tasks, such as making meals or paying bills
  • experiencing confusion around the current time or place
  • difficulty in understanding visual images or judging distances
  • speech, writing, or vocabulary changes
  • misplacing objects or not being able to retrace steps
  • impaired judgment or decision-making
  • participating less in social activities or work obligations
  • personality and mood changes

Some changes are a natural part of aging. However, if these changes get worse or interfere with daily life, speak to a physician.

No complete cure for tinnitus is available, although it can be temporary for many people who have it. Those with chronic tinnitus lasting three months or longer may find relief in one or several of the following treatmentsTrusted Source:

  • sound therapies to mask the noise of tinnitus, including sound generators, hearing aids that include sound masking features, and wearable sound generators
  • therapy to reduce tinnitus’ impact on daily life, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and education about the condition
  • medications, including antianxiety or antidepressant drugs

The effect of treating tinnitus on dementia risk is currently unclear from research.

The exact causes of dementia are still unclear, so preventing dementia might not be possible.

However, the following measures may reduce dementia-linked risk factors, according to the NIA:

  • Protect your ears from excessive volume and use hearing aids if necessary. These may support cognition and reduce the mental energy required to listen for people with hearing loss.
  • Manage high blood pressure and high blood glucose through medication and healthy lifestyle choices.
  • Maintain a healthy weight through regular activity and a balanced diet full of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats.
  • Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise weekly.
  • To stay mentally engaged, participate in activities such as reading, board and video games, crafting, learning, working, or socializing.
  • Stay connected with family and friends to avoid isolation.
  • Attend regular screenings and actively manage chronic conditions.
  • Try to get 7-8 hours of sleep every night, and consult a physician about issues sleeping.
  • Use fall prevention measures and wear seatbelts and helmets to reduce the risk of head injury.
  • Limit alcohol consumption to two drinks a day for men and one for women to avoid health risks.
  • Quit smoking, as this can improve overall health and reduce disease risks.

Studies have shown significant links between tinnitus and dementia risk. People with tinnitus may have a higher risk of developing dementia later in life and a heightened risk of more severe symptoms. This might relate to changes in how different brain regions communicate for those with tinnitus.

Interestingly, some research has suggested that people living with tinnitus may consequently develop increased cognitive function due to the increased effort involved in understanding speech. More studies are necessary to determine the exact relationship between tinnitus and dementia.

No evidence suggests that tinnitus treatment reduces dementia risk. However, the National Institute on Aging (NIA) recommends managing hearing loss to prevent dementia, as well as adopting a healthy diet and getting enough social connection, exercise, and sleep.