Cause of Tinnitus: Discover What Really Causes Tinnitus.

By Thomas Colman on June 25, 2009

After years of research, the main causes of tinnitus are finally revealed. Discover the causes of tinnitus in this article.

When external sound waves reach the small, sensitive hairs that are present in the inner parts of the human ear, they produce signals that are electronic in nature. These signals, thus generated, travel through the auditory nerves and finally reach the brain. These signals are received, and then interpreted as sound, by the brain. However, when the delicate hairs on ones inner ear somehow get damaged or are not functioning properly, confusing and wrong signals are sent up to the brain. While processing these signals, the brain produces bizarre, disturbing noises, which in turn, travel back to the ear. These sounds can vary in their nature, and include whooshing, whistling or ringing sounds, among others. As a result, a person gets to hear these noises, even when no apparent source of such sounds is present near him/her. Tinnitus is the name given to the disease which causes a person to hear such distressing sounds.

There are several factors that bring about these problems. Several other triggers which can spark off these causes can also be detected. Since tinnitus can be caused by a multiple set of factors, experts need to be extremely careful while analyzing them. As a case in point, sinus-related complications act only as a trigger, and are not, in itself, one of the underlying reasons of tinnitus. On the other hand, a high level of blood pressure is generally viewed as one of the most important underlying causes of the disease. Such blood pressure problems can be a direct result of an erratic lifestyle led by the person. A heightened level of stress is another cause. These causes of the disease can only be eliminated if a holistic method of treating tinnitus is adopted.

Cause of Tinnitus: A Closer Look At Some Causal Factors

Exposure to acute depression and stress factors : Even if the ears appears to be healthy, and medical check-ups do not yield any aberrations, tinnitus can still affect the person. These problems can be avoided or reduced if they take up a holistic approach to lifestyle.

Acoustic neuroma factors : This refers to a tumor which can cause tinnitus. These benign tumors generally form on the nerves of the brain, which extend till the internal portions of the ear, from the brain. These nerves, in their normal state, help a person to retain balance, and also aids in his/her hearing. Vestibular Schwannoma is the alternative name given to these problems, which in most cases, affect one of the ears of the patient.

Problems from Menieres disease : Menieres disease refers to a medical condition inflicting the inner regions of the ear. The problem is mainly caused by the pressures of a typical fluid in the ear, and often results in tinnitus as well.

Damages in head and/or neck regions : Such injuries often affect the system of nerves adversely, and can hamper the proper functioning of these nerves. The brain, as a result, also suffers an impact, and tinnitus problems often make an appearance.

Factors related to old age : As a person grows senile, (s)he can totally, or partially, lose his/her powers to listen. This phenomenon becomes apparent after a person crosses 60 years of age, and is medically known as Presbycusis.

Having to hear sounds at high volumes: This is also a probable cause. If a person has to continuously hear noises at extremely high pitches, a constant ringing noise seems to be audible to him/her, even when there exists no such source. For example, this is common in people who are employed in stamping mills or forging jobs. Tinnitus problems can also result from the shot guns that are rather heavy, and have to be placed on the shoulder for firing. Also, if individuals are constantly exposed to the loud beats of music at night clubs, they are prone to tinnitus attacks.

Wax in the ear: If the ear wax levels go beyond a certain level (the normal amounts), tinnitus is a possible outcome in a large number of people.

Narrower blood vessels : Also termed clinically as Atherosclerosis, this change in the shape of the blood vessels in the middle or the inner parts of the ear can be brought about by excess accumulation of cholesterol. This can, in many cases, result in tinnitus. When affected in this manner, blood vessels cannot account for the sounds. As a result, noise impulses like hissing and whooshing can be heard, along with other pulsating sounds.

A high level of blood pressure: This factor brings about tinnitus problems in much the same way as the factor explained above. When cholesterol, in high amounts, gets accumulated on the arteries, the supply of blood to the head and the neck gets reduced. This is the prime reason for the resultant tinnitus attacks. If patients opt for correct, and early, holistic treatments, these problems can be avoided.

Neck or head tumors: Such tumors put a very high degree of pressure on the blood vessels of the head and the neck. Also known as vascular neoplasm, these tumors can also result in tinnitus.

Malformation of the Arteriovenous system : If the connecting channels of the arteries and veins are not right, the problem is called AVM (Arteriovenous Malformation). Tinnitus caused due to this factor generally affects one of the ears of individuals.

Cause of Tinnitus: Certain Medicines Also Play A Part

There actually exist certain forms of drugs that can give rise to tinnitus problems. What is worse, the problems can get all the more intensified by the application of some medicines.

Let is now look into some of the types of drugs that can probably be blamed for tinnitus problems:

Various types of antibiotics, including erythromycin, chloramphenicol, bleomycin, tetracycline or vancomycin.

Cancer-treating drugs (e.g. Vincristine and Mechlorethamine).

Diuretic drugs, namely, ethacrynic acid, bumetanide or furosemide.

Medicines like quinine, that are often used to treat malaria, and similar other health symptoms.

If a person consumes large quantities of Aspirin, over a long time, (s)he is also likely to hear ringing noises in his/her ear.

Tinnitus is often termed as a multilateral disease since it can be caused by a combination of several factors, as has been discussed above. The key to finding an effective solution is in proper identification and elimination of these causes. Conventional methods of treatment generally fail to provide any long-standing relief. This is due to the fact that, such treatments do not make an attempt to locate the chief causes of tinnitus, and treat only the symptoms of the problem. On the other hand, holistic treatments locate the main problem-creating factors and then remove them. The entire body is taken as a single unit in this treatment approach. Medicines prescribed by holistic approaches include herb-based products, and certain changes in the patients lifestyles are also suggested. Over time, these holistic methods have been widely effective for treating tinnitus.

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