EAR ISSUES (RINGING, HEARING AND PAIN)
Updated: 2 days ago
I've had ear ringing many times since I got Lyme, and it definitely got better as I healed. BPPV was my hardest ear experience personally. I've also noticed some hearing loss, but I've wondered if that is part of me aging too.
Short on time or energy? A quick-view graphic with the key points is at the bottom of this post.
SOUND SENSITIVITY IN LYME
BPPV (BENIGN PAROXYSMAL POSITIONAL VERTIGO)
HEAD PAIN AND MIGRAINES EDUCATION
WHAT ILADS SAYS
- ILADS explains that the Lyme bacteria can reach any organ or tissue in the body, which is why the symptoms can show up almost anywhere.
- ILADS lists facial nerve problems (weakness or paralysis of the face, often mislabeled as Bell's palsy) as a sign of early Lyme. Diagnosis is clinical, based on your medical history, symptoms, exam findings and chance of tick exposure.
- ILADS also says co-infections like Babesia and Bartonella should be considered when symptoms continue after Lyme treatment.
RINGING IN THE EARS (TINNITUS)
- Dr. Marty Ross explains that ringing is likely caused by damage to the inner ear or the nerve that carries sound. With Lyme, that damage may come from the infection itself, a medication side effect or an injury.
- The NIH hearing institute (NIDCD) notes that ringing has many possible causes, including hearing loss, loud noise, some medicines, earwax, ear infections, head or neck injuries, jaw joint problems and migraines. That's why it's worth having your doctor check for other causes too.
- The jaw joint sits close to the ear. NIDCD notes that clenching your jaw or grinding your teeth can trigger ringing or make it worse.
HEARING LOSS
- A 2024 study from Denmark followed people with Lyme in the nervous system (neuroborreliosis). 11 of 23 (48%) had inner ear hearing loss when they left the hospital, and 9 of 16 (56%) had it 60 days later. Inner ear function tests improved in 14 of the 18 people who were rechecked. The researchers said this hearing loss can be temporary or long-term.
- A 2025 study by the same Danish team tested 19 people with neuroborreliosis. Nine (47%) had hearing loss and 4 (21%) had problems in the balance part of the inner ear. Their hearing wasn't very different from people of the same age without Lyme, though, and their test results didn't always match how they described their symptoms.
- A 2026 case report from France described a 61-year-old woman with sudden hearing loss in both ears, along with headache and an earache. She'd had an untreated rash that looked like the Lyme rash (erythema migrans) 3 months earlier. With antibiotics and steroids, her hearing was back to normal within 3 weeks.
EAR PAIN
- Global Lyme Alliance shares that when Lyme causes facial palsy, some people also notice ear pain or a change in how food tastes.
- Research on ear pain in Lyme is thin. Most of it comes from case reports like the 2026 French one above, not large studies.
BARTONELLA AND THE EARS
- A 2026 study from Israel described 5 people with cat-scratch disease (caused by Bartonella henselae) who had sudden hearing loss in one ear. Two also had ringing. By their own report, two got their hearing back and three got some of it back. The researchers said this link has been overlooked.
BABESIA AND THE EARS
- I couldn't find research that ties Babesia directly to ear symptoms yet. ILADS lists fever, fatigue, chills, sweats, headaches and shortness of breath as Babesia symptoms.
- One Babesia connection to know: azithromycin, often paired with atovaquone for Babesia, is in the medicine family covered in the note below.
A MEDICATION NOTE
- A 2024 review of 13 studies (over 1.1 million people) found that macrolide antibiotics, the family azithromycin belongs to, were linked to a higher risk of hearing loss.
- NIDCD lists some antibiotics, anti-malaria medicines, anti-inflammatory pain relievers (ibuprofen, naproxen and aspirin) and antidepressants among the medicines linked to ringing, especially at high doses.
- MedlinePlus lists difficulty hearing and ringing in the ears as possible side effects of hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil).
- If you notice ear changes on any medicine, tell your doctor.
POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS
1. Treat what's behind it
ILADS supports individualized treatment and checking for co-infections. In some of the studies above, hearing improved after treatment. Work with your Lyme-literate doctor.
2. Go over your medicines
Some Lyme-literate doctors suggest reviewing your medicines with your doctor to see if one could be causing it.
3. Acupuncture or Chinese herbs
A Lyme-literate doctor finds it often takes at least 6 sessions to see a change. A 2026 review of 12 studies (908 people) found acupuncture helped tinnitus scores and anxiety in people who had both, though the researchers want larger, better-quality trials.
4. Craniosacral therapy
Another idea from the same doctor, which can take up to about 6 visits. This is a doctor's experience; I didn't find research on it for ear ringing.
5. Less coffee and alcohol
The same doctor says cutting back sometimes helps.
OTHER OPTIONS LYME-LITERATE DOCTORS AND RESEARCH POINT TO
1. Get your hearing checked
NIDCD suggests starting with your primary care doctor, who may send you to an ear, nose and throat doctor (ENT) or an audiologist for a hearing test.
2. Sound therapy
NIDCD lists sound machines, phone apps or a fan at night, plus hearing aids for people who also have hearing loss.
3. Counseling and CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy)
A 2026 review of 5 studies found CBT plus sound therapy may ease distress more than sound therapy alone, though it didn't make the ringing quieter.
4. Protect your ears from loud noise
NIDCD lists limiting loud noise as one way to avoid making ringing worse.
5. Jaw care
If you clench or grind, NIDCD notes that treating jaw joint problems can greatly reduce ringing for some people.
BEFORE YOU START
- If you notice a sudden change in your hearing, let your doctor know right away so it can be checked early.
- Never stop a prescribed medicine on your own. Talk with your doctor first.
MY EXPERIENCE
- Ear ringing came and went for me many times, and it got better as I healed.
- BPPV was my hardest ear experience. My BPPV post shares what helped me.
- I've noticed some hearing loss too, but I honestly wonder if part of that is just aging.
- I had Zithromax (azithromycin) by IV and was taught to watch for ear ringing while taking it and to tell my doctor if I noticed it.
MORE RESEARCH WITH MIXED RESULTS
- Ginkgo: a Lyme-literate doctor includes it among his ideas, but a 2022 review of 12 studies (1,915 people) found ginkgo may make little or no difference for ringing compared with a placebo, and the evidence was very uncertain.
- NIDCD says vitamins, herbs and supplements are often advertised for ringing, but none has been proven to work.
- Worth investigating: Chinese skullcap and astaxanthin from my BPPV post. I didn't find research on them for ear ringing.
RELATED POSTS
VERTIGO AND DIZZINESS
BARTONELLA - POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS
INTERNAL VIBRATIONS, TREMORS, BRAIN ZAPS, ELECTRIC SHOCK SENSATIONS AND CRANIAL NEUROPATHY
SOURCES
ILADS, Lyme Disease Basics for Providers (2026)
Global Lyme Alliance, Facial palsy (2023)
PubMed, Hearing loss in neuroborreliosis (2024)
PubMed, Hearing and balance in neuroborreliosis (2025)
PubMed, Lyme and sudden hearing loss case (2026)
PubMed, Cat-scratch disease and hearing loss (2026)
PubMed, Macrolides and hearing loss (2024)
NIDCD, Tinnitus (2023)
MedlinePlus, Hydroxychloroquine (2025)
PubMed, CBT and sound therapy for tinnitus (2026)
PubMed, Acupuncture for tinnitus (2026)
Cochrane, Ginkgo for tinnitus (2022)
Dr. Marty Ross, Tinnitus supports (2026)
Disclaimer: Rise Above Lyme makes no claims about any possible benefit of using any product mentioned within this site. Always consult with your doctor before adding anything. The information shared is based on personal experience, years of accumulated researched resources from Lyme Literate doctors and polls conducted within Lyme groups from actual patient experience using these solution ideas.
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