Are you going crazy with that tinnitus in your ears? Find out what causes tinnitus and whether you may have inherited it.
What is tinnitus?
A ringing, buzzing, or droning in the ears with no external cause of the noise is a condition known as tinnitus. The direct translation of the term tinnitus is”ringing like a bell”.”
How will my everyday living be impacted by tinnitus?
Tinnitus can interrupt personal connections in several aggravating ways. It isn’t a disease in and of itself, but it’s a symptom of other conditions or circumstances in your life like hearing loss or injury. Your concentration can be seriously disrupted when you start to hear tinnitus in one or both ears.
Regardless of the way in which you’re experiencing tinnitus, it is always bothersome. influence your sleep and even cause anxiety and depression.
What causes tinnitus?
Tinnitus can be long lasting or it can come and go. Sustained exposure to loud sound, like a rock concert, is normally the cause of short-term tinnitus. Tinnitus has been known to co-occur with several different medical issues.
A few of the circumstances that could play host to tinnitus include:
- Excessive earwax accumulation
- Inner ear cell damage and irritation of the sensitive hairs used to transport sound, causing arbitrary transmissions of sound to your brain
- Teeth grinding (bruxism) triggered by a TMJ disorder
- Anxiety or depression
- A benign tumor, called acoustic neuroma, forms on cranial nerve
- Changes in the structure of the ear bone
- Meniere’s Disease
- Trauma to the neck or head
- Inner ear infections
- Hearing loss related to aging
- Exposure to loud noise for extended periods of time
- Several medications
- Injuries that affect nerves of the ear
Is it possible that my parents could have passed down the ringing in my ears?
Generally, tinnitus isn’t a hereditary condition. But the symptoms can be influenced by your genetics. For instance, ear bone changes that can lead to tinnitus can be inherited. These changes are caused by irregular bone growth that can be passed down through family lines. Some of the other conditions that can result in ringing in the ear may be inherited from your parents, including:
- Certain diseases
- Being prone to inner ear infections or wax build-up
- Predisposition to anxiety or depression
The ringing in your ear is not directly inheritable, but you might have been genetically predisposed to the conditions that are breeding grounds for tinnitus.
If you have a history of tinnitus in your family, it’s really in your best interest to make an appointment with us so we can evaluate your hearing.