Cause of Tinnitus – Why Do I Have Tinnitus?

The cause of tinnitus is generally a medical condition. Thus, while ringing in the ears is in itself not debilitating, its effects and implications can prove to be severe. Its presence can mean the presence of medical conditions like presbycusis (age-related hearing loss), head and neck injuries, thyroid disorder, circulatory problems like hypertension, malformation of capillaries, and atherosclerosis.

There are four main causes however, and one of them could be the most likely cause of tinnitus that you and majority of its sufferers experience. These are noise-induced cochlear damage, stress, allergies or sinus problems, and Meniere's disease.

Noise-induced cochlear damage

The cochlea is composed of tiny hairs that move when they detect sound, thus sending electrical impulses to the auditory nerve. The impulse is then interpreted by the brain as sound. However, when the tiny hairs get bent or broken due to repeated exposure to noise or even to a sudden exposure to a very loud noise. When this happens, the broken hairs send random electrical impulses to the brain, which are in effect interpreted as sound. That sound is the ringing sound that you hear even though there is no external source. 

Stress

When you experience grief, shock and long continued stress, your hypothalamus is seriously affected. The hypothalamus is a part of the brain responsible for controlling various systems in the body, which are responsible for producing chemicals that our body needs to work normally. Thus, when the hypothalamus is severed, essential chemicals may not be produced. In effect, unhealthy conditions arise, which include tinnitus.

Allergies or Sinus Problems

It is not the allergies or sinus problems that directly cause the unwanted sound but the medications that the sufferers of these conditions take. The prolonged intake of antihistamines and antibiotics actually causes the mucous in the middle ears to thicken. A mucous buildup then takes place in the middle ear. The pressure resulted by this building up of mucous then causes ear infections and of course, ear ringing.

Meniere's Disease

An inner ear disorder, Meniere's disease is a chronic condition that frequently leaves a feeling of exhaustion. It occurs when the levels of sodium, potassium, chloride and other electrolytes that the inner ear's fluid contains fluctuates due to some injury in the inner ear. The importance of this fluid is that it bathes the inner ear's sensory cells, allowing them to function normally. Attacks of Meniere's Disease are often marked by ear pressure, hearing fluctuation, and of course, ringing noises.

It is important that sufferers know the cause of tinnitus that they experience because its treatment is largely dependent on what caused it.