What are some causes if tinnitus? Tinnitus is becoming one of the most prevailing health conditions in the United States. According to a report, around 50 million people in the U.S. are affected by tinnitus at some point in their life. Many people associate it with hearing loss. However, the condition does not result in hearing loss. Instead, tinnitus causes the patient to experience phantom noises, like buzzing, hissing, ringing and clicking.
While it is not the life-threatening illness, people with tinnitus experience difficulty in sleeping and concentrating. Eventually, the condition may interfere with personal and work relationships, which may further results in psychological distress. In severe case, patients become sensitive to sound.
Causes of Tinnitus – Types of Tinnitus
If left untreated, the condition may become worse. However, several therapies can help improve symptoms. Generally, patients may experience one of the two kinds of tinnitus- objective tinnitus and subjective tinnitus.
Subjective Tinnitus
The subjective tinnitus, on the other hand, is the condition in which only a patient can hear the noises. Well, this type is most prevalent of all. It can be inflicted by ear problems in your inner, outer, and middle ear. In addition to that, subjective tinnitus can be caused by the problems of auditory nerves. Furthermore, when your brain interprets auditory signals as sound, it can lead to subjective tinnitus.
Objective Tinnitus
The objective tinnitus is what your tinnitus specialist will be able to hear during your examination. Objective tinnitus is the rare type that may result from muscle contractions, blood vessel issue, and a middle ear bone problem.
What are the Causes of Tinnitus?
When it comes to the causes of tinnitus, a large number of health conditions may result in tinnitus; the exact cause for tinnitus has not been found. However, when your inner ear’s hair cell damage, it may lead to tinnitus. Not to mention, the fragile, tiny hairs in your ear move with the pressure of the sound waves that trigger the cells to send a signal to your brain through the auditory nerve.
Your brain interprets the received signals as sound. Damaged or broken inner ear hair can release electrical impulses to your brain, which cause tinnitus. In addition to that, other causes of tinnitus include chronic health conditions, ear problems, and injuries that affect your auditory nerves. In many cases, patients may struggle with tinnitus due to the following conditions:
· Aging Issues
With age, your hearing may become worsen. Usually, people around the age of 60 experience hearing loss. However, tinnitus caused due to hearing loss is referred to as presbycusis.
· Ear Bone Problems
Stiffening of middle ear bones can also lead to tinnitus, affecting your hearing. Note that, this condition is caused by the abnormal growth of the bone in your middle part.
· Earwax Blockage
Earwax protects your ear and prevents the growth of bacteria by trapping the dirt. However, the excessive buildup of earwax may irritate the eardrum, which further leads to tinnitus.
· Exposure to Loud Noise
Loud noises are common causes of hearing problems. The loud noise from chain saws, heavy equipment, firearms, and MP3 can cause tinnitus.
The Takeaway
Whether you have been struggling with mild symptoms of tinnitus, or have been experiencing the severe health conditions related to tinnitus, do not neglect your health issue and schedule an appointment with Tinnitus Treatment Specialist immediately.
Stephen Geller Katz, LCSW-R
19 West 34th Street
Penthouse Floor
New York, NY 10001