The Link Between Tinnitus and Brain Fog - AI Podcast
Dr. Joseph Mercola - Take Control of Your Health
Briana Mercola
4.6 • 1.5K Ratings
🗓️ 1 August 2025
⏱️ 7 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Story at-a-glance
- People with recent-onset tinnitus scored significantly lower on cognitive tests measuring memory, focus, and processing speed, even after accounting for age, stroke, diabetes, and other risk factors
- Tinnitus hijacks your brain’s attention system, draining cognitive resources and making it harder to concentrate, switch tasks, or remember details
- Women and those with lower education levels face a higher risk of cognitive impairment when tinnitus is present, suggesting certain groups need earlier intervention
- Brain imaging studies show that hearing loss causes shrinkage in areas tied to memory and decision-making, especially the hippocampus — a key region also affected by tinnitus
- You can lower your risk by avoiding loud noise exposure, improving sleep, boosting magnesium, supporting gut health with fruit and fiber, and calming your nervous system with daily relaxation practices
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Have you ever noticed a faint ringing in your ears at night and wondered if it might be silently stealing your focus and memory? |
| 0:06.0 | Welcome to Dr. Mercola's cellular wisdom. Stay informed with quick, easy-to-listen summaries of our latest articles, perfect for when you're on the go. |
| 0:15.0 | No reading required. Subscribe for free at Mercola.com for the latest health insights. |
| 0:20.0 | Welcome to Dr. Mercola's Cellular Wisdom. |
| 0:23.5 | I'm Ethan Foster, here with Alara Sky, and we're dissecting the new research linking |
| 0:28.9 | tinnitus to impaired cognitive function. |
| 0:31.7 | We'll break down why recent onset tinnitus drains your mental resources, which groups |
| 0:35.6 | are most vulnerable, and the practical steps you can take right now to protect both your hearing and your memory. |
| 0:41.9 | Let's start with the numbers. In a study of 684 adults, age 60 and over, those who developed tinnitus within the last three months scored markedly lower on tests of attention, processing speed, and verbal memory. |
| 0:56.1 | Even after factors like age, stroke, or diabetes were accounted for. |
| 1:01.0 | Those lower digit symbol substitution and animal fluency test scores weren't trivial. |
| 1:06.1 | They crossed the threshold for cognitive impairment, meaning your ability to switch tasks or |
| 1:10.5 | recall details can |
| 1:11.5 | slip noticeably in a very short time. What's fascinating is that the biggest dip showed up in fresh |
| 1:17.1 | cases. People with long-standing tenetis did not fare as poorly, pointing to a critical window |
| 1:23.0 | when your brain is most vulnerable. Researchers think tinnitus hijacks your limited attention pool. |
| 1:28.8 | Your mind keeps scanning for that phantom noise, |
| 1:31.8 | burning through cognitive bandwidth you'd normally use for planning, conversation, |
| 1:36.8 | or remembering where you left your keys. |
| 1:38.8 | To picture the strain, imagine trying to work in a room |
| 1:41.8 | where a smoke alarm chirps every few seconds. |
| 1:45.0 | You may still get through the day, but your energy drains faster because a slice of awareness is perpetually diverted. |
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