What Causes Ringing in the Ears
If you are a tinnitus sufferer and you are looking for the right treatment, one of the things that you have to consider first is what causes ringing in the ears. Because the ringing noise that you hear is a symptom or a warning of an unhealthy condition in your body, it is best treated according to what caused it.
There are certain medical conditions that are the known causes of the unwanted sound. These are:
A. Noise-induced cochlear damage
Around 90% of the sufferers attribute the cause of the the ringing in their ears to repeated exposure to loud noises, which is quite not surprising especially with the advent of MP3 players. The cochlea is composed of delicate tiny hairs. These tiny hairs move when sound is detected in the inner ear, thus transmitting electrical impulses to the auditory nerve, and the brain interprets this as sound. But, when the tiny hairs get bent or broken because of sudden or repeated exposure to loud noises, electrical impulses would be randomly transmitted, hence, a ringing sound is heard even though there is no outside source.
B. Stress
Long periods of stress, grief, or anxiety actually injures the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus is a primitive part of the brain responsible for the production of chemicals that the body needs for it function normally. But, because of its injury due to exposure to stress, the essential chemicals are not produced. As a result, unhealthy conditions arise, and one of these is tinnitus.
C. Sinus problems or allergic reactions
What causes ringing in the ears is actually the kind of medication that the sufferers of the conditions take. People who suffer from either of these conditions take antibiotics or antihistamines, medications known to thicken the mucous in the middle ear. This accumulation results to pressure buildup, causing you to experience ear ringing and middle ear infections.
D. Meniere’s Disease
People who have Meniere’s Disease usually experience tinnitus. Meniere’s Disease is a chronic disorder and is a result of the imbalance of fluid in the inner ear. Its other symptoms include vertigo and hearing fluctuation.
There other known causes of ringing in the ears besides these conditions, though. These include presbycusis or age-associated hearing loss, temporomandibular joint disorder or TMJ, head injuries, muscle tension, thyroid disorder, vitamin B12 deficiency, and circulatory disorders like hypertension, malformation of the capillaries, and atherosclerosis or hardening of the arteries.
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