Are you going mad with that tinnitus in your ears? Find out what causes tinnitus and whether you might have inherited it.
Tinnitus, what exactly is it?
A ringing, buzzing, or droning in the ears with no outside cause of the noise is a condition called tinnitus. The direct translation of the term tinnitus is”ringing like a bell”.”
How will tinnitus affect my daily living?
Tinnitus can be annoying and can interrupt intimate connections. It’s not a disease in and of itself, but it’s a symptom of other conditions or conditions in your life including hearing loss or injury. You might hear tinnitus in one ear or both ears and it can hinder your ability to focus.
Tinnitus is always disruptive regardless of how it’s manifesting. Sleep loss, anxiety, and even depression can also be triggered by tinnitus symptoms.
What causes tinnitus?
Tinnitus can be constant or temporary. Lengthy exposure to loud noise, such as a rock concert, is normally the cause of temporary tinnitus. Tinnitus has been known to co-occur with several different medical issues.
Here are several conditions that generally go along with tinnitus:
- Excessive earwax accumulation
- Meniere’s Disease
- The ear bone has undergone changes
- Inner ear infections
- Trauma to the neck or head
- Acoustic neuroma where a benign tumor grows on the cranial nerve running from the inner ear to the brain
- Inner ear cell damage and irritation of the delicate hairs used to conduct sound, causing arbitrary transmissions of sound to your brain
- Numerous medications
- Injuries that impact nerves of the ear
- Sustained exposure to loud sound
- Teeth grinding (bruxism) related to a TMJ disorder
- Anxiety or depression
- Age-related hearing loss
Could I have inherited this tinnitus from my parents?
Generally, tinnitus isn’t an inherited condition. However, your genes can play a part in this condition. You can, as an example, inherit a tendency for your ear bone to change. These changes are caused by abnormal bone growth that can be handed down through family lines. A few of the other conditions that can cause ringing in the ear may be passed down from your parents, including:
- Being prone to inner ear infections or wax build-up
- Predisposition to anxiety or depression
- Certain diseases
The ringing in your ear is not directly inheritable, but you might have been genetically susceptible to the disorders that are breeding grounds for tinnitus.
If your family has a history of tinnitus, you should definitely come in for an evaluation.
