What Is Tinnitus?

Tinnitus, while considered by many a disease is actually a symptom with many causes.  Tinnitus can vary but all Tinnitus suffers will hear some sort of sound when there is none there to hear.  The experience of tinnitus varies from individual to individual with some people experiencing only mild noises that are easily ignored to others who can hardly cope both because of the sound and because of the volume.  For all who experience tinnitus though, it can be a distraction even when mild. 

Causes of Tinnitus

The single biggest cause of tinnitus is due to hearing damage. High sound pressure volumes cause a person’s ears to stop responding as well to sounds and the resulting damage also causes the nerves to produce sounds that are not there.  High sound pressures can come from anything from a jet engine to loud music to gun shots and more.  Any sound that comes in higher than 90 decibels can cause hearing damage.  The higher the decibels, the faster and more dramatic the hearing loss is.  Each individual is different in how they might experience tinnitus from hearing damage though.  Some may have some short term humming while others may experience constant noise for weeks, months or for the rest of their lives from even one event. 

The second most common cause of tinnitus is from a physical problem with the ear.  For some experiencing symptoms for this reason the problem can be as simple as wax buildup in the ear.  The process is not completely understood but the wax sitting against the eardrum can irritate the nerves nearby causing the perception of sound.  Other people will report tinnitus as part of having an ear infection as well.  Both middle and inner ear infections can irritate and even potentially damage the nerves responsible for hearing causing the hearing of sound when none is there.  For a small percentage of tinnitus suffers there are a couple conditions where the eardrum is not completely sealed or there is some other tiny flaw in the ear that causes the tinnitus symptoms. 

The final most common cause of tinnitus is as a side effect from medication.  There are many medications where tinnitus symptoms are a known side effect of the medication.  In fact, it is a very common side effect, with medications as common as aspirin, some antibiotics and commonly taken anti-malaria drugs all having tinnitus listed as a known side effect.