Are you experiencing ringing in your ears that’s driving you crazy? Find out what causes tinnitus and whether you might have inherited it.
What is tinnitus?
Tinnitus is the term describing a person’s perception of a ringing, droning, or buzzing in the ear with no external stimulus present to explain this sensation. The term tinnitus translates to “ringing like a bell.”
How will my day-to-day living be impacted by tinnitus?
Tinnitus can be frustrating and can disrupt intimate connections. It’s not a disease in and of itself, but it’s a symptom of other conditions or circumstances in your life including hearing loss or injury. Your ability to stay focused can be seriously disrupted when you start to hear tinnitus in one or both ears.
Tinnitus is always troublesome regardless of how it’s manifesting. Sleep loss, anxiety, and even depression can also be triggered by tinnitus symptoms.
What causes tinnitus?
Tinnitus can be long lasting or it can come and go. Temporary types of tinnitus are usually brought on by extended exposure to loud sounds, such as a rock concert. Tinnitus has been known to manifest with several different medical conditions.
A few of the conditions that may play host to tinnitus include:
- Inner ear infections
- Meniere’s Disease
- Injuries that affect nerves of the ear
- Excessive earwax build-up
- Head or neck traumas
- Exposure to loud noise for sustained periods of time
- Depression or anxiety
- Bruxism, generally referred to as teeth grinding stemming from temporomandibular joint problems, or TMJ disorder
- Inner ear cell damage and irritation of the fragile hairs used to transport sound, causing arbitrary transmissions of sound to your brain
- Several medications
- Age-related hearing loss
- Acoustic neuroma where a benign tumor grows on the cranial nerve running from the brain to the inner ear
- The ear bone has changed
Is it possible that my parents could have passed down the ringing in my ears?
In general, tinnitus isn’t an inherited condition. However, your genetics can play a role in this condition. You can, as an example, inherit a tendency for your ear bone to change. These changes are a consequence of irregular bone growth that can be passed down through family lines. Here are some other conditions you might have inherited that can cause tinnitus:
- Being prone to inner ear infections or wax build-up
- Being predisposed to depression or anxiety
- Certain diseases
You can’t directly inherit tinnitus, but there are conditions that become breeding grounds for tinnitus which you could have inherited.
If you have a history of tinnitus in your family, it’s truly in your best interest to make an appointment with us so we can assess your hearing.