Causes of Tinnitus

Tinnitus is not actually a condition in itself. Instead, it is a symptom of another condition that may be present. Sometimes, it is nigh on impossible to determine what that underlying condition may be. This can make determining the causes of tinnitus rather difficult in some patients.

On this page, we are going to look at some of the more common causes of tinnitus. If you do have tinnitus as a symptom, then it may be worth talking to a doctor to see whether they can establish why it is happening in the first place.

We will not be able to detail all of the potential causes here, mostly because the jury is still out on some of them. For example; some people claim that stress and anxiety can lead to tinnitus, but we do not know whether the stress and anxiety are causing the symptom, or whether it is exasperating symptoms that were already present.

Age

As sad as it is, when you age, your body will start to 'break down'. It can't repair itself anywhere near as effectively as it could in the past. One area which seems to take a lot of heavy damage in the ears. If age doesn't cause tinnitus, then it will almost certainly exasperate the symptom if it is related to another condition that you may have.

Damage to the ears

If you have been regularly exposed to loud noises, either through work or your social life (e.g. going to concerts, loud clubs, etc.) then you could have damaged your hearing. While your ears may naturally heal over time, in many people they do not. This can lead to long-term problems with tinnitus. This is why it is always wise to use ear protection in certain situations.

A build-up of ear wax

Thankfully, this is one of the causes of tinnitus that can easily be dealt with. If you have a clogged ear canal, perhaps because your body is not flushing out ear wax properly, then this can cause tinnitus. Simply removing the blockage is more than enough to deal with the tinnitus, although you would still need to work out why your ear wax is building up to that point, to begin with.

Ear infections

Temporary tinnitus can often be tied to an ear infection. In most cases, this is not something that is going to heal on its own. If you have an ear infection, then you will need to talk to a doctor to be prescribed antibiotics. If you do not, then there is a chance that your symptoms will end up getting even worse. When that happens, it won't just be related to your ears.

Perforated eardrum

There are a lot of things that can cause a perforated eardrum. While your eardrum is likely to heal over time, it is likely going to cause extreme pain and tinnitus until it gets to that point.

Ménière's Disease

This is a condition that is a result of issues within your inner ear. While the main symptom of Ménière's Disease will be vertigo (i.e. dizzy spells), people have also reported hearing issues such as tinnitus.

Remember; even though some of these causes of tinnitus can not be 'cured', there are still ways in which you can manage your symptoms. This can often mean the disappearance of your tinnitus altogether.