Cannabis Use and Hearing Health

Many states now permit the utilization of marijuana, THC, or cannabinoid compounds for medicinal purposes and quite a few states have legalized marijuana for recreational use.

So, what are cannabinoids?
Cannabinoids are classified as a group of compounds found in the cannabis or marijuana plant.
Cannabinoids are sometimes believed to provide extensive healing qualities, but established research suggests there may also be adverse impacts like a strong link between cannabinoid use and the progression of hearing loss or tinnitus symptoms.

What are the different types of cannabinoids?

Currently, cannabinoids can be used in many forms.
It isn’t merely weed (or ganja, or reefer … ok, there are a bunch of nicknames for marijuana so let’s move on).
Oils, mists, pills, and other forms of cannabinoids are currently obtainable.

The forms of cannabinoids available will differ state by state, and under federal law, many forms are still illegal if the THC concentration is more than 0.3%.
So it’s still normal for people to be very cautious about cannabinoids.

The issue is that we don’t presently comprehend some of the lasting side effects or complications of cannabinoid use.
For instance, new findings show how cannabinoids can impact your sense of hearing.

Cannabinoids and hearing loss

A wide range of health problems and medical conditions are thought to be benefited by cannabinoids.
Some research suggest that cannabinoids might ease nausea, vertigo, seizures, and other symptoms.
So scientists decided to find out if cannabinoids could help with tinnitus, too.

While studies are continuing, cannabis use could also potentially impact your hearing:

• High Blood Pressure: One of the potential side effects of using cannabis is an increase in blood pressure.
  Persistent high blood pressure has the potential to harm blood vessels in various regions of the body, including those within the inner ear. As a result, this damage can lead to hearing impairment and the feeling of ringing in the ears referred to as tinnitus.
• Ototoxicity: Some of the chemicals in cannabis might be ototoxic, meaning they are harmful to the inner ear. This can also result in hearing loss and tinnitus.

Yes, tinnitus can be induced by cannabinoid use.
Studies have shown that more than one in five individuals who used cannabis-based products reported experiencing tinnitus, characterized by a persisting ringing sound in the ears.
Before the study, the participants did not experience any indications of tinnitus. Furthermore, people who used marijuana were considerably more prone to reporting tinnitus symptoms within 24 hours.

Additional research indicated that marijuana use may worsen ear-ringing symptoms in individuals who already deal with tinnitus.
Simply put, there’s some very solid evidence that tinnitus and cannabinoids don’t really combine all that well.

The potential negative impact of cannabinoids on tinnitus symptoms

Cannabinoids can worsen your tinnitus in a few concrete ways.
First of all, the incidents of tinnitus symptoms can become more regular, you may observe the buzzing or ringing in your ears more persistently.
Similarly, your bouts of tinnitus can become more extreme when you’re using cannabinoids. More extreme ringing that can be harder to disregard can be the result.

The beginning of tinnitus symptoms has also been linked to cannabinoids.
Or, said another way: after you start using cannabinoids you could develop tinnitus symptoms even if you didn’t have them before.

It’s still not clear what actually causes tinnitus

Although we recognize the connection between tinnitus and particular triggers, we have yet to ascertain the precise governing reasons.
Cannabinoids can have an impact on the middle ear and symptoms of tinnitus. But what’s causing that impact is a lot less obvious.

Obviously, research will continue to be done.
People will be equipped to make a practical choice regarding which of the many types of cannabinoids to select from as we obtain deeper insight into their link to tinnitus.

The treatment that’s too good to be real

Cannabinoids have garnered considerable recognition and publicity in the market over the past several years.
That’s mostly because opinions are transforming about cannabinoids (and, to an extent, is also an indication of a desire to shift away from opioids).
But this new research makes it evident that cannabinoids can and do bring about some adverse repercussions, specifically if you’re worried about your hearing health.

Studies have established an obvious link between tinnitus and cannabinoids.
So regardless of how much advertising you see for CBD oils, if you’re concerned about tinnitus, you should probably steer clear of them.
It’s worth being cautious when the connection between cannabinoids and tinnitus has been so well established.

If you are experiencing tinnitus or hearing loss, don’t wait to schedule a hearing test, your hearing health is so important.