Do you have ringing in your ears that’s driving you mad? Discover whether your tinnitus is inherited or what the cause might be.
What is tinnitus?
A ringing, buzzing, or droning in the ears with no outside cause of the sound is a condition known as tinnitus. The direct translation of the word tinnitus is”ringing like a bell”.”
How will my daily living be affected by tinnitus?
Tinnitus can be annoying 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 such as hearing loss or damage. You may hear tinnitus in one ear or both ears and it can impede your ability to focus.
Regardless of how you’re experiencing tinnitus, it’s always bothersome. influence your sleep and even cause anxiety and depression.
What are the causes of tinnitus?
Tinnitus can be persistent or temporary. Sustained exposure to loud sound, such as a rock concert, is typically the cause of short-term tinnitus. Tinnitus has been documented to co-occur with a few different medical issues.
Here are a few situations that generally accompany tinnitus:
- Bruxism, generally referred to as teeth grinding caused by temporomandibular joint issues, or TMJ disorder
- Sustained exposure to loud noise
- Various medications
- Hearing impairment associated with aging
- Excessive earwax accumulation
- Inner ear cell damage and irritation of the delicate hairs used to conduct sound, causing random transmissions of sound to your brain
- Injuries that impact nerves of the ear
- Changes in the composition of the ear bone
- Meniere’s Disease
- Infection of the inner ear
- Head or neck injuries
- Anxiety or depression
- Acoustic neuroma where a benign tumor grows on the cranial nerve running from the inner ear to the brain
Could I have inherited this tinnitus from my parents?
Generally, tinnitus isn’t a hereditary condition. However, your genes can play a part in this symptom. For instance, ear bone changes that can result in tinnitus can be inherited. These changes are caused by abnormal bone growth that can be handed down through family lines. Here are some other conditions you could have inherited that can cause tinnitus:
- Being prone to inner ear infections or wax build-up
- Being predisposed to depression or anxiety
- Certain diseases
The ringing in your ear is not directly inheritable, but you may have been genetically predisposed to the conditions that are breeding grounds for tinnitus.
If your family has a history of tinnitus, you should definitely come in for an evaluation.