What Causes Tinnitus?

You may have heard of the condition where people hear a ringing in the ears, but you may not know that this condition has a name and it’s called tinnitus. For some people, it presents as a ringing, high-pitched tone that doesn’t seem to end. For others, it’s a buzzing in the ears like angry bees that never seems to go away. Whichever way that it presents for people, it’s one thing: annoying! It’s not always heard in both ears, with some sufferers noting that they experience it in only one ear. Tinnitus is not something anyone wishes to have, and a test with an established hearing care provider can help you to rule out what you are experiencing. There are several things out there in the world that can cause tinnitus to kick off, and it’s important that you recognize that your lifestyle can have an impact on your hearing and the issues you may experience.

Getting older

As we get older, our senses start to fail on us. Our sight starts to deteriorate and alongside that, your hearing starts to fail, too. Aging is one of the biggest causes of hearing loss and tinnitus accompanies this. A hearing test with a hearing specialist can help to tell you whether your hearing is deteriorating.

A very loud lifestyle

There’s nothing wrong with enjoying concerts with friends in your youth or clubbing and attending bars with music playing. There’s also a great pleasure in renovating your back garden with large power tools. However, consistent and prolonged exposure to loud environments can cause damage to the tiny hairs inside the eardrum, which leads to hearing loss. Think about wearing ear defenders whenever you are exposed to loud sounds and prevent the damage.

Medication side effects

There are certain medications out there that can trigger tinnitus in some people. Aspirin, certain antibiotics and even ingredients in food can be a trigger for you, so it’s important that you bring with you a list of your medications when you head to your hearing test. Your hearing care provider will want to know this, so it’s always better to be armed with the right information before you go.

Inner ear blockages

No one likes to deal with earwax, but it’s something that you should be incorporating into your routine so that you don’t have to cope with a blockage. Earwax is, in fact, the cleaning agent inside your ears. If you produce too much, you’re going to deal with clogged ear canals and the impaction can cause that high-pitched whistling sound you’re hearing. Schedule regular appointments with the hearing care provider to have the impactions removed to help prevent tinnitus symptoms from worsening. If you don’t get treated for tinnitus, you are putting your health at risk. It can and does make people paranoid, which can lead to anxiety in public, depression and a feeling of isolation among peers. As soon as you hear that buzzing, schedule an appointment with your hearing care provider. You won’t regret it.