Hearing loss and fibromyalgia can feel like a confusing mix of symptoms. Your ears ring, sounds feel too loud or muffled, and at the same time your body already hurts and tires so easily. It is easy to wonder if you are just imagining it or if it is “all in your head.”
You are not imagining it. Many people with fibromyalgia also struggle with hearing changes, tinnitus, dizziness and sound sensitivity. Understanding how fibromyalgia affects your ears can help you make sense of your symptoms, talk with your doctor with more confidence and find simple steps that make daily life feel calmer and more in your control.
How Fibromyalgia Affects Your Ears
Fibromyalgia is a long-lasting pain condition that changes how your nervous system processes pain and other sensory signals. Your brain and spinal cord become extra reactive to input from your body and from the world around you.
This process is called central sensitization. It does not only change how you feel pain. It can also change how you experience light, touch, temperature, and sound. That is why many people with fibromyalgia notice that normal sounds feel too loud, sharp, or even painful at times.
In simple words, your nervous system is stuck on high alert. It treats regular daily sounds like a threat. This can add to stress, fatigue, and pain, which then makes sound sensitivity even worse.
What Recent Research Shows
Recent studies and reviews confirm that ear symptoms are common in fibromyalgia. A 2024 narrative review found higher rates of hearing loss, sound sensitivity, and tinnitus in people with fibromyalgia. Dizziness and balance problems were also very frequent in some groups.
Other research found.
- Around 15 percent of people with fibromyalgia had measurable hearing loss.
- The risk was higher with diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or depression.
- Large population studies showed people with fibromyalgia were about one to four and a half times more likely to have hearing loss.
Tinnitus is also very common.
- Almost half of fibromyalgia patients in one study had tinnitus.
- Some research found even higher rates.
- Worse tinnitus often showed up in people with more severe fibromyalgia.
Researchers also see that some people with fibromyalgia react more strongly to sound even when standard hearing tests look normal. Brain studies and loudness testing show that sound can feel more intense and more unpleasant for these patients. This fits with the idea that the central nervous system is amplifying sensory input.
Common Ear Symptoms with Fibromyalgia
You may notice one or more of these symptoms if you live with fibromyalgia.
Hearing changes
- Sounds can feel muffled.
- You may ask people to repeat often, especially in noise.
- High pitched sounds may be harder to hear.
- Tests sometimes show high frequency sensorineural hearing loss.
Sound sensitivity or Hyperacusis means that everyday sounds feel too loud or sharp
- Everyday sounds can feel too loud or sharp.
- Noises like dishes, traffic or barking dogs may feel painful or jarring.
- Busy places can feel draining and overwhelming.
Tinnitus is the sense of sound when there is no real outside noise
- You may hear ringing, buzzing, hissing, or whooshing with no outside sound.
- It can affect one or both ears.
- It often flares with stress, poor sleep, or pain spikes.
Dizziness and balance problems.
- You may feel lightheaded, unsteady or like the room is spinning.
- Causes can include inner ear issues, blood pressure shifts, or autonomic nervous system problems.
Ear fullness or pressure.
- Ears can feel full, clogged or under pressure without infection.
- Possible links include muscle tension, Eustachian tube issues, or central sensory changes.
Why Hearing Loss and Fibromyalgia Overlap
Several factors help explain the link between fibromyalgia and ear problems.
Central sensitization.
- The brain amplifies normal sensory signals.
- Sounds can feel louder and more irritating even when ears are healthy.
- This helps explain strong sound sensitivity with normal hearing tests.
Blood flow and health conditions.
- The inner ear needs steady blood flow.
- Diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol all raise hearing loss risk.
- These are common in fibromyalgia and add to the load.
Stress, sleep and overload.
- Stress, poor sleep and ongoing pain strain the nervous system.
- Tinnitus and sound sensitivity often spike during flares or after bad sleep.
Medication effects.
- Some anti-inflammatory drugs, antibiotics and high dose aspirin can affect hearing in some people.
- It is important to mention new ear symptoms after a drug change.
When to see a doctor or audiologist
Ear symptoms should not be ignored or always blamed on fibromyalgia.
Reach out for help if you notice.
- Sudden hearing loss in one or both ears.
- Tinnitus that starts suddenly, especially in one ear.
- Severe vertigo, spinning, nausea, or vomiting.
- Ear pain, drainage, or signs of infection.
- Pressure or fullness that does not go away.
- Hearing trouble that affects driving, work, or safety.
An ear exam usually includes a physical check, hearing tests and sometimes balance tests. This helps rule out infections, fluid, wax buildup, Meniere disease, and other inner ear problems.
If your tests are normal but your symptoms are real, you are not imagining things. Many people with fibromyalgia have normal hearing tests yet clear signs of sound hypersensitivity and tinnitus.
Simple ways to protect your ears
You can take small steps to support your hearing and your nervous system.
Use gentle sound protection.
- Try soft earplugs or filtered musician style plugs in loud places.
- Use them at concerts, games, gyms, or noisy stores.
- Avoid very heavy protection in normal sound all day to prevent extra sensitivity.
Create a calm sound space.
- Use soft background sounds like fans, white noise, or nature tracks.
- Keep TV and headphones at a moderate volume.
Support overall health.
- Work with your care team to manage blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol.
- Aim for balanced meals, gentle activity and not smoking.
- Improving general health can ease both pain and sound stress.
Protect your sleep.
- Keep a regular sleep and wake time.
- Limit screens before bed.
- Create a dark, quiet, cool bedroom.
- Better sleep often helps reduce tinnitus and sound sensitivity.
Calm your nervous system.
- Try slow breathing, gentle stretching, or short mindfulness breaks.
- Many people also like prayer or journaling.
- Over time, these tools may lower pain and sound reactivity.
Ask about hearing devices.
- Hearing aids can improve clarity and reduce listening fatigue when hearing loss is present.
- Some devices include tinnitus masking sounds.
- An audiologist who knows chronic pain can tailor support for you.
Moving Forward with Knowledge and Hope
Living with fibromyalgia and ear symptoms can feel draining, but your experience is real and shared by many others. You are not weak, and you are not “too sensitive.” Your nervous system is working overtime, and that shows up as pain, fatigue, hearing changes, tinnitus and sound overload all at once.
The good news is that knowledge gives you power. When you understand the link between fibromyalgia and hearing loss, you can ask better questions, push for proper testing and try small daily habits that protect your ears and calm your body. You deserve clear answers, kind care and a life where sound feels more peaceful and less like a constant battle.
