Could You Be Suffering From Tinnitus? How To Easily Spot This Common Condition Affecting Millions Of Americans

What Are The Causes Of Tinnitus?

Many health conditions can cause tinnitus or make it worse. Many patients develop tinnitus due to their age as they begin to lose some of their hearing. However, there are many other common causes of tinnitus, such as prolonged exposure to loud noise, too much earwax buildup, and changes to the bones in the ear. Some less common causes of tinnitus include blood vessel disorders such as high blood pressure, inner ear cell damage, tumors, head and neck injuries, and some medications like antibiotics, water pills, as well as cancer and quinine medications.

Keep reading to learn about diagnosing tinnitus.

Diagnosing Tinnitus

Tinnitus can be very difficult to diagnose; sometimes the cause is never found. The doctor will examine the patient’s ears, head, and neck for possible causes. Some tests for tinnitus include a hearing exam in a soundproof room; checking the movement of eyes, jaw, neck, arms, and legs; and imaging tests such as CT or MRI scans.

Explaining the sounds heard may help the doctor discover the underlying cause. For instance, clicking sounds can indicate muscle contractions, humming is mainly vascular, a heartbeat sound is usually blood vessel problems, and high-pitched ringing can mean hearing loss due to exposure to loud noise.

Continue reading to find out ways to prevent and treat tinnitus.