Cause of Tinnitus: Discover What Really Causes Tinnitus.

Ex tinnitus sufferer and medical researcher reveals the real causes of tinnitus in this article.

The nerves of the ear serve the function of generating electric signals which are received by the brain. The signals are originated by the pressures of the external waves of sound, that come in contact with the highly sensitive, small-sized hairs that are located in the inner regions of the ear. These signals are interpreted as sound by the brain. However, such smooth processing of sound by the brain gets interrupted in cases where the hairs of the inner ear are destroyed or deformed in some way. In such a scenario, all that the brain receives are abnormal noises, like the sounds of a whistle, a ring, or a simple whoosh. These noises are, in turn, transferred to the ear, as a result of which, the affected person gets to listen these weird sounds. When a person hears these strange sounds, in the absence of any likely source for them, tinnitus is what is affecting him/her.

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 Brief Overview

Excess stress-levels or a depressed state of mind: Tinnitus can occur even when one or both the ears is apparently okay, and medical tests also do nothing to prove otherwise. Such problems, brought about by excessive stress, can be solved only via a holistic approach to treatment, and adoption of a healthy lifestyle.

Benign Tumor: Also known as Acoustic Neuroma, these tumors often result in tinnitus as well. The cranial nerve that connects the inner ear with the brain, and helps people hear as well as maintain a perfect balance, usually bears these tumors. They cause tinnitus in one of the ears of patients, and the condition is also known as Vestibular Schwannoma.

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.

Accidents affecting the head and/or neck: If these accidents affect the nerves, patients can experience severe neurological problems. The proper way of working of the brain is also affected, and tinnitus problems can result.

Problems due to senility: As a person becomes senile, (s)he can lose his/powers of hearing, either totally, or, at least, to some extent. As a person reaches 60 years of age, these factors, also termed Presbycusis in medical jargon, start to manifest themselves.

Listening to shattering sounds: Tinnitus is extremely likely to affect people who are exposed to deafening noises continuously. A case in point is the workers of forging mills and stamping factories, who often hear ringing noises, even when they are not at work. Guns having bores of heavy weights, which are shot from the shoulder, can also bring about tinnitus. Tinnitus is also a likely medical condition affecting those employed in night clubs, since they are exposed to loud music too often.

Amount of ear wax : There is a maximum limit till which ear wax can accumulate within the ears. When the deposits of ear wax go beyond this limit, tinnitus is a likely outcome.

Atherosclerosis factors: When cholesterol deposits increase considerably in the blood vessels located at the inner or the middle regions of the ear, the blood vessels in these regions become much narrower. The ability of these nerves to provide for the functions of the heart is also lost. As a consequence, whooshing, pulsating sound notes, and hissing noises are the main sound impulses that are received by both the ears of the patients.

Elevated levels of blood pressure : A high blood pressure level can also cause tinnitus, in much the same way as discussed in the previous point. Arteries, when they have excess amounts of cholesterol accumulated in them, cannot supply blood to the neck and the head " the main cause of the problem. However, this problem can be eliminated at an early stage, with the holistic treatment approach.

Head tumors or neck tumors : These tumors increase the pressure on the vascular neoplasm (i.e., the blood vessels present in the human head and neck). Tinnitus can be a common result of such problems.

Improper formation of Arteriovenous connections : Many people suffer from tinnitus problems that originate from an incorrect formation of the connections that bind the arteries and the veins. When, arteriovenous malformation (AVM) occurs, tinnitus generally affects one of the ears of the patient.

Cause of Tinnitus " A Look at Some Medicines With Adverse Effects

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.

The medicines that are generally held responsible for aggravating tinnitus problems can be listed as under:

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.