What causes tinnitus?
The ear canal is lined with tiny hairs that sense movement and vibration conveyed to the brain as sound. Tinnitus occurs when these cells in your ear that respond to sound waves malfunction and transmit electrical impulses that your brain misinterprets as sound.
Tinnitus can be idiopathic, which means that it has no known cause. Alternatively, it may result from various causes, including underlying ear infections, medications, foreign objects in the ear, allergies, high blood pressure, anemia, or Meniere’s disease (swelling in part of the inner ear canal, causing dizziness and hearing loss).
Common causes of tinnitus
Common causes of tinnitus include:
-
Acoustic neuroma (benign tumor of the vestibulocochlear nerve)
-
Blood vessel disorders
-
Ear infections
-
Ear wax buildup
-
Exposure to loud noises
-
Hearing aids
-
Meniere’s disease (swelling in part of the inner ear canal, causing dizziness and hearing loss)
-
Otosclerosis (hardening of the bones in the ear)
-
Stress
-
Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain
Medications that can cause tinnitus
Certain drugs may lead to tinnitus as a side effect including:
-
Antibiotics
-
Antidepressants
-
Antimalaria drugs
-
Aspirin (high doses)
-
Cancer medications
Serious or life-threatening causes of tinnitus
In rare cases, tinnitus may be caused by serious or potentially life-threatening conditions including:
What are the risk factors for tinnitus?
A number of factors increase the risk of developing tinnitus. Not all people with risk factors will get tinnitus. Risk factors for tinnitus include:
-
Age over 65
-
Ear infections or ear wax blockage
-
Exposure to loud noise
-
Hearing loss attributed to age
-
History of high blood pressure, heart disease, or high cholesterol levels
-
Male gender (tinnitus is more common in men)
-
Use of medications, such as antibiotics, high-dose aspirin, cancer medications, or antimalaria drugs
Reducing your risk of tinnitus
Some risk factors for tinnitus cannot be controlled. However, you can take certain steps to reduce your risk of tinnitus including:
-
Changing medications that are linked with tinnitus. Any changes of medication must be done under the supervision of your health care provider.
-
Reducing your exposure to loud noise
-
Seeing your health care provider for diagnosis and treatment of any underlying disorders
INTRODUCTION
What is tinnitus?
Tinnitus is the sound of ringing in the ears in the absence of audible noise. The sound may mimic noises, such as buzzing, ringing, clicking, hissing, clanging or wheezing. It is a common occurrence that can range in severity from being a nuisance to being a symptom of a medical emergency that should be evaluated immediately....
Read more about tinnitus introduction
SYMPTOMS
What are the symptoms of tinnitus?
Symptoms of tinnitus occur in the ears, mimicking the sounds of ringing, buzzing, clicking, hissing, clanging or wheezing. The volume may be very low or high, and the sound may occur in one or both ears. You may barely be aware of your tinnitus, or it may distract you from your daily routines. Tinnitus results from the brain’s misinterpreting nerve signals as sound....
Read more about tinnitus symptoms
TREATMENTS
How is tinnitus treated?
There is no one identifiable treatment for tinnitus. However, you and your doctor can work toward identifying the underlying cause of your tinnitus. This may include assessing your medications to determine whether any are causing the symptoms, or diagnosing an underlying blood vessel disorder....
Read more about tinnitus treatments
