Do you have ringing in your ears that’s driving you mad? Find out what causes tinnitus and whether you may have inherited it.
What is tinnitus?
Tinnitus is the name referring to a person’s perception of a ringing, droning, or buzzing in the ear with no external stimulus present to explain this sensation. The direct translation of the word tinnitus is”ringing like a bell”.”
How will my daily living be affected by tinnitus?
Tinnitus can be aggravating and can interrupt intimate interactions. It’s not a disease in and of itself, but it’s a symptom of other conditions or conditions in your life like hearing loss or damage. You might hear tinnitus in one ear or both ears and it can impede your ability to concentrate.
Tinnitus is always troublesome regardless of how it’s manifesting. impact your sleep and even trigger anxiety and depression.
What causes tinnitus?
Tinnitus can be persistent or temporary. Temporary varieties of tinnitus are usually brought on by prolonged exposure to loud sounds, such as a rock concert. There are a few medical issues that tend to go hand-in-hand with tinnitus.
Here are several conditions that generally accompany tinnitus:
- Inner ear cell damage and irritation of the delicate hairs used to conduct sound, causing arbitrary transmissions of sound to your brain
- Hearing loss related to aging
- Anxiety or depression
- Accumulation of excessive earwax
- Bruxism, more commonly known as teeth grinding stemming from temporomandibular joint issues, or TMJ disorder
- Various medications
- Injuries that impact nerves of the ear
- Inner ear infections
- Acoustic neuroma where a benign tumor grows on the cranial nerve running from the brain to the inner ear
- The ear bone has undergone changes
- Prolonged exposure to loud noise
- Trauma to the neck or head
- Meniere’s Disease
Could I have inherited this tinnitus from my parents?
Tinnitus isn’t directly hereditary. However, your genetics can play a part in this condition. You can, as an example, inherit a tendency for your ear bone to change. These changes are related to irregular bone growth that can be passed down through family lines. A few of the other conditions that can lead to ringing in the ear might be inherited from your parents, including:
- Being predisposed to depression or anxiety
- Being prone to inner ear infections or wax build-up
- Certain diseases
You can’t directly inherit tinnitus, but there are conditions that become breeding grounds for tinnitus which you may have inherited.
If you have a history of tinnitus in your family, it’s truly in your best interest to schedule an appointment with us so we can assess your hearing.
