Do you have ringing in your ears that’s driving you mad? Learn whether your tinnitus is inherited or what the cause might be.
Tinnitus, what exactly is it?
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 experience. The direct translation of the term tinnitus is”ringing like a bell”.”
How will my day-to-day living be affected by tinnitus?
Tinnitus can interrupt personal connections in numerous annoying ways. It’s usually an indication that you have damaged hearing or some root health condition and not a disease in and of itself. You may hear tinnitus in one ear or both ears and it can hinder your ability to concentrate.
Tinnitus is always disruptive regardless of how it’s manifesting. impact your sleep and even cause anxiety and depression.
What are the causes of tinnitus?
Tinnitus can be long lasting or it can come and go. Short term varieties of tinnitus are typically caused by prolonged exposure to loud noises, like a rock concert. There are a few medical issues that tend to go hand-in-hand with tinnitus.
Here are several situations that typically accompany tinnitus:
- Injuries to the neck or head
- Anxiety or depression
- Teeth grinding (bruxism) triggered by a TMJ disorder
- Infection of the inner ear
- Meniere’s Disease
- Inner ear cell damage and irritation of the fragile hairs used to transport sound, causing random transmissions of sound to your brain
- Changes in the composition of the ear bone
- Buildup of excessive earwax
- Different medications
- A benign tumor, called acoustic neuroma, grows on cranial nerve
- Injuries that affect nerves of the ear
- Age-related hearing impairment
- Exposure to loud sound for sustained periods of time
Could I have inherited this tinnitus from my parents?
In general, tinnitus isn’t a hereditary condition. However, your genetics can play a role in this condition. For example, ear bone changes that can lead to tinnitus can be passed down. Abnormal bone growth can trigger these changes and can be handed down through genetics. Some of the other conditions that can cause ringing in the ear could be passed down from your parents, including:
- Being prone to inner ear infections or wax build-up
- Predisposition to anxiety or depression
- Specific diseases
The ringing in your ear isn’t directly inheritable, but you might have been genetically predisposed to the conditions that are breeding grounds for tinnitus.
If you have a history of tinnitus in your family, it’s really in your best interest to schedule an appointment with us so we can assess your hearing.