Tinnitus: What Are Some Of The Probable Causes

The most common mistake that people do in regards to tinnitus treatment is to simply focus on the tinnitus itself. The real deal is: the emergence of any kind of “ear ringing” problem is only the symptom or indication of a graver medical condition. This is the reason why it is imperative to immediately seek the aid of a health care provider when it comes to anything that resembles this ringing of the ears problem. Taking matter into your own hands by subscribing to herbal remedies to “cure” tinnitus, or tolerating the noise, or even trying to overpower it with another more pleasant noise can only complicated the problem even more. The best solution is to always try to find the root cause of the problem.

This condition is brought about by a number of causes. Some of them are due to exposure to loud mechanical devices for prolonged periods of time. Some are due to bodily adaptations to illnesses. And then there are others still that are due to chemical imbalance brought about by ingesting too much prescription medicines.

As such, the number one cause of tinnitus is the destruction or the irreparable damage done to the sensitive hairs in the ear canal. These hairs are utilized primarily to bring the soft, almost inaudible sounds to the person’s attention. People who have great sense of hearing usually have these sensitive hairs intact and functional. Unfortunately, in our modern world, loud noises are almost common. In most cities of the world, waking up to traffic or the bustle of everyday living can reach easily reach 80 decibels (dBA) or more. According to the World Health Organization or WHO, it only takes 20 minutes of a full 80 decibel noise to damage the sensitive hairs in the ear canal. The safe limit is pegged at 70 decibels only. Now add a loud car stereo, or a headphone blasting music at 110 decibels for about the whole 30 minute commute to the office or to school. Then add the loud noise emitted by the workers jack hammering down the street; or the 120 decibel noise of the TV in the lounge. These can cause irreparable damage to the hearing and can cause the damaged sensitive hairs in the ear canal to vibrate incessantly. This vibration causes ringing of the ears.

Another cause of ringing in ears is the body’s adaptations to illnesses or sudden physiological changes. Ear infections usually bring about tinnitus because the normal fluid build-up within the ear canal has increased or decreased dramatically. The sound can be likened to a warning signal that something is wrong with the person’s health. However, the noise is not a conscious physiological maneuver. The body is simply finding ways to correct the “situation” since a dramatic increase or decrease of the fluid build-up in the ear canal causes the sensitive hairs to react on their own. Foreign objects within the ear canal or an excessive build up of wax in the same area also causes the fluid build up to change.

Chemical imbalance in the body, like taking too many aspirin or heavy drugs also affects the fluid build up in the ear canal, causing the sensitive hairs to react. However, it is very likely that once the person stops taking the aforementioned drugs, the tinnitus will also stop.