What Causes Tinnitus?

What Causes Tinnitus?

Tinnitus is the perception of sound when no sources of the sound exist. It typically manifests as a ringing, buzzing, hissing or even clicking sound and is not a disease, but rather a symptom of something else. Some of the causes of tinnitus are well-known, while others remain mysterious. In this guide, the team of auditory experts at Harley Street AVM examine what causes tinnitus.

What Causes Tinnitus? Possible Explanations

As we said, the cause of a person’s tinnitus may remain elusive, but in many cases, the cause can be pinned down to some specific event or condition, including:

Exposure to a sudden extreme sound

People close to sudden explosions, like soldiers, often end up with tinnitus. Being close to a firearm when it is discharged can also produce tinnitus. Pneumatic drills can produce tinnitus, as can exposure to loud concert music. While tinnitus in such cases may eventually recede, it may also be permanent.

Hearing loss

Hearing loss is one of the commonest causes of tinnitus. Tinnitus may be the first cry for help from your ears and standard hearing tests may not identify subtle and early inner ear hearing loss.  You may require more detailed specialist tests and investigations. If you have early onset hearing loss, or if your hearing loss is worse on one ear compared to the other, then further investigation such as MRI scan will be required.

Presbycusis, or age-related hearing loss, is another common cause of tinnitus. Time is unforgiving, and as people age, they often experience a degradation in the components of the inner ear, resulting in tinnitus. This type of tinnitus may slowly get worse over time.

Medications

Certain medications are known to be risk factors for tinnitus. These include antibiotics, diuretics, excessive amounts of aspirin and chemotherapy drugs. Whether or not tinnitus caused by medication will go away depends on the type of drug and the amount taken. 

Meniere’s and other conditions

Meniere’s disease affects the inner ear and can cause tinnitus. Disorders of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) can also produce tinnitus, as can high blood pressure.

Inner ear or brain tumours

Tinnitus maybe the first manifestation of neurological conditions, such as MS. Tumours of the brain or inner ear such as acoustic neuroma, may also cause tinnitus.

Earwax buildup

Perhaps the simplest and least traumatic cause of tinnitus is simple earwax buildup. By blocking the ear canal, earwax can cause changes in pressure in the inner ear, resulting in tinnitus. A simple ear cleaning can often resolve the issue.

Contact Harley Street AVM

If you are experiencing tinnitus, make an appointment to see an audiologist at Harley Street AVM by calling 020 3480 9630.