Are you going mad with that tinnitus in your ears? 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 external 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 day-to-day living be affected by tinnitus?
Tinnitus can disrupt personal connections in several aggravating ways. It’s not a disease in and of itself, but it’s a symptom of other ailments or circumstances in your life such as hearing loss or injury. Your ability to stay focused can be seriously interrupted when you begin to hear tinnitus in one or both ears.
Tinnitus is always disruptive regardless of how it’s manifesting. Sleep loss, anxiety, and even depression can also be caused by tinnitus symptoms.
What are the causes of tinnitus?
Tinnitus can be constant or temporary. Short term varieties of tinnitus are typically caused by extended exposure to loud noises, like a rock concert. There are a few medical issues that tend to go hand-in-hand with tinnitus.
A few of the circumstances that may play host to tinnitus include:
- Exposure to loud noise for prolonged periods of time
- Accumulation of excessive earwax
- Teeth grinding (bruxism) caused by a TMJ disorder
- Various medications
- Inner ear cell damage and irritation of the fragile hairs used to conduct sound, causing random transmissions of sound to your brain
- A benign tumor, called acoustic neuroma, grows on cranial nerve
- Injuries that affect nerves of the ear
- The ear bone has changed
- Depression or anxiety
- Hearing impairment associated with aging
- Infection of the inner ear
- Trauma to the neck or head
- Meniere’s Disease
Is it possible that my parents may have passed down the ringing in my ears?
Generally, tinnitus isn’t an inherited condition. But the symptoms can be influenced by your genetics. For instance, ear bone changes that can result in tinnitus can be inherited. These changes are caused by irregular bone growth that can be handed down through family lines. Here are some other conditions you may have inherited that can trigger tinnitus:
- Certain diseases
- Being prone to inner ear infections or wax build-up
- Predisposition to anxiety or depression
The ringing in your ear isn’t directly inheritable, but you may have been genetically susceptible to the conditions that are breeding grounds for tinnitus.
If your family has a history of tinnitus, you should certainly come in for an assessment.