SCIENCE & RESEARCH NEWS
What Does Research Tell Us About Exercise and Tinnitus? Answered by Fatima Husain, PhD
In short, it’s good! That is, physical exercise is good for dealing with tinnitus after onset and throughout one’s life if tinnitus has become chronic. This is perhaps not surprising given the latest research on exercise and its favorable impact on aging and myriad other chronic mental and physical health conditions. In a survey study we conducted some years back, adults reporting milder symptoms of tinnitus also reported higher levels of physical activity compared to those with bothersome symptoms.1 The survey did not ask the question of whether patients adopted more physical activity to combat tinnitus-related distress, but our findings revealed that although tinnitus contributed to lowered quality of life, exercise appeared to boost quality of life in the survey respondents. A second study using brain imaging found that those reporting mild tinnitus and higher physical activity levels used their limbic system less compared to those with bothersome tinnitus and lower activity levels.2 The limbic system processes emotions, and using it less on a routine basis is probably a consequence of
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habituating to tinnitus and also the higher levels of activity. But exercise is not for everyone. The longer answer, therefore, is that we need more research to understand the nuances of what type of exercise and what duration are suitable for a given individual reporting distressing tinnitus.3 For some, breathing exercises and yoga may be more their cup of tea. Others may prefer running or team sports. Yet others may eschew physical exercise and relax by listening to music or knitting or reading. All these activities and hobbies have been found by individuals to be useful in helping them deal with tinnitus and improving their quality of life. Patients seek out these activities on their own, possibly trying different ones, but with little input from their healthcare providers. Again, more research is needed to investigate the contribution of these activities and the manner in which they may be helping a person habituate to tinnitus and deal with it on an ongoing basis. As we know, chronic tinnitus is not always the same, flaring up louder in times of stress and sleeplessness. Exercise and other activities are one way to moderate those flare-ups and have an overall better quality of life.
Fatima Husain, PhD, is a cognitive and computational neuroscientist by training, with a special interest in speech and hearing. For the past 12 years, the major focus of her lab has been the study of tinnitus. Her lab at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has studied tinnitus using a variety of methods, from behavior and surveys to several types of brain imaging. Dr. Husain’s goal is to better understand the brain-based mechanisms of tinnitus with a view toward testing and improving existing treatment options and eventually developing customized treatment plans. 1 J. R. Carpenter-Thompson, E. McAuley, & F. T. Husain. (2015). Physical activity, tinnitus severity, and improved quality of life. Ear and Hearing, 36(5), 574–581. 2 J. R. Carpenter-Thompson, S. Schmidt, E. McAuley, & F. T. Husain. (2015). Increased frontal response may underlie decreased tinnitus severity. PLoS One, 10(12), e0144419. 3 F. T. Husain, Y. Tai, & M. K. Finnegan. (2016). Emotional processing and non-auditory based interventions in tinnitus. Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups, 1(7), 13–23.
TINNITUS TODAY SUMMER 2020
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