Thursday 15 September 2011

5 Causes Of Ringing In The Ear

Ringing in the ear is a condition that is experienced by a person suffering from tinnitus. Tinnitus is the medical name for ringing in the ear. Tinnitus is not a medical disorder but a symptom of the condition, and as a rule does not mean it is a serious medical complaint.
Finding the exact cause of tinnitus is not easy but there a number of things that cause ringing in the ear.. The following are the five main causes of tinnitus:
1. Hearing Loss Related to Aging
Presbycusis is the medical term for age-related loss of hearing. This is one of the most common causes of tinnitus among people ages 40 and above. As a person ages, the hearing organ degenerates and the hearing capability of the person decreases because of deteriorating cells of the auditory organ. These cells will not regenerate anymore and the hearing loss is irreversible. Tinnitus usually occurs with the degeneration of hearing among the elderly.
2. Loud Noises
Being constantly exposed to loud noises is also one of the main causes of ringing in the ear. Aside from tinnitus, hearing loss and permanent damage may also be caused by constant exposure to loud noises. People affected by tinnitus, are generally people working in a factory or construction where they operate noisy machinery everyday throughout the day. Teenagers with their iPods and mp3 players always plugged in their ears for long periods are also likely to develop tinnitus.
3. Earwax Build-up
If the ears are not cleaned regularly, earwax will continue to be produced to trap the dirt in the ear canal. A build up of earwax starts the beginning of cerumen impaction within the ear canal.. This blockage is what causes damage to hearing and irritation of the eardrum. This will eventually lead to the development of tinnitus.
4. Underlying Medical Condition
Ringing in the ear may also be caused by another medical condition affecting the auditory nerves, the blood vessels near the ear or the ear fluid pressure. Abnormal fluid pressure on the ear causes a disorder in the inner ear which is called meniere's disease.. Head and neck injuries, in general, can cause temporary tinnitus because of the damage in the nerves or the blood vessels around the ears. TMJ or tempero-mandibular joint problem, a problem in the jaw-skull joint can also cause tinnitus. Anemia and atherosclerosis can sometimes lead to tinnitus, quite often a pulsatile tinnitus..
5. Medications
There are also medications that cause ringing in the ear such as antibiotics, chloroquine, diuretics and cancer medications.
Some causes of ringing in the ear could be avoided, an example being not listening to music at such a high volume, also using proper protection for your ears in noisy work enviroments.. Take care where necessary, but certain circumstance are unavoidable, therefore help will be required to deal with this condition.


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