A lack of vitamins, including vitamin B-12, can cause a variety of health problems. One symptom that is occasionally linked with vitamin B-12 deficiencies is tinnitus -- a ringing in the ears. If you suffer from tinnitus, taking vitamin B-12 supplements may be of some use, but tinnitus can be caused by a variety of problems. Talk to your doctor before taking any sort of vitamin supplement.
What Is Tinnitus?
Tinnitus is the medical term for a ringing or buzzing sensation in your ear that affects about 20 percent of people. Tinnitus is not a health problem on its own but it can be a sign of some underlying disorder. Hearing loss, either due to increasing age or as a result of exposure to loud noises can cause tinnitus. Too much earwax, abnormal changes of the bones in your ears, stress, head and neck injuries, cardiovascular disease and some medications can also cause tinnitus.
Vitamin B-12 and Nerves
The B vitamins are all important for the metabolism of fats, carbohydrates and proteins, but vitamin B-12 is important for other processes in the body as well. Not only is it involved in transporting certain chemical structures known as methyl groups throughout the body, but vitamin B-12 is needed to synthesize DNA and new cells, especially red blood cells. Your nerves are coated in a material known as myelin, and vitamin B-12 is essential for the formation of this protective covering.
Tinnitus and Vitamin B-12
One of the risks of a vitamin B-12 deficiency is that your nerves may be affected due to a loss of myelin. Although the neurologic symptoms of a deficiency of this vitamin typically involve tingling or numbness in your extremities, confusion, poor muscle coordination and memory loss, your auditory nerve can also be affected. Although there has not been much research on tinnitus and vitamin B-12 levels, a 1993 issue of the "American Journal of Otolaryngology" contains a study that found almost 50 percent of patients with tinnitus have a vitamin B-12 deficiency.
Considerations
Although tinnitus has been linked with a lack of vitamin B-12, it is unlikely that taking vitamin B-12 supplements will relieve symptoms of tinnitus unless you have a vitamin B-12 deficiency. Because tinnitus can be caused by many health problems, including tumors, talk to your doctor if you have ringing or buzzing in your ear, particularly if it lasts for a long time. You should also talk to your doctor before taking vitamin B-12 or any other supplement.
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