What Causes Tinnitus?

The causes of tinnitus are not known. That said, most patients develop tinnitus as a symptom of hearing loss caused by excess noise exposure or acute trauma to the auditory system. Tinnitus is sometimes the first sign of hearing loss.

The Mayo Clinic says, “One idea is that tinnitus results from damage to the cells of the inner ear. This stems from the fact that about 90 percent of people with tinnitus have some hearing loss caused by noise.”

“The leading tinnitus theory is that your brain is expecting to get a certain amount of stimulation from your ears and if it doesn’t, it creates a phantom sound, which you perceive as tinnitus, to keep itself busy. This is why tinnitus often occurs along with hearing loss or after significant noise exposure, such as a concert,” says Hearing Health magazine editorial committee member Kathleen Wallace, Au.D.

Medical causes of tinnitus range from earwax that blocks the ear canal to more complex conditions such as otitis media (a middle ear infection); otosclerosis (an abnormal bone growth in the middle ear); sudden sensorineural hearing loss (sudden deafness); Ménière’s disease; noise-induced hearing loss; and presbycusis (age-related hearing loss).

In rare cases tinnitus is caused by acoustic neuroma (a benign, slow-growing tumor on the auditory nerve) or certain brain diseases that involve the auditory system. Vascular system disorders in the head and neck area can cause tinnitus that pulses in time with the heartbeat.

Head and neck injuries including whiplash are associated with tinnitus, as are severe jaw joint disorders. Tinnitus can also occur with systemic diseases such as severe anemia, hypertension, hypothyroidism, and syphilis. Tinnitus can be a side effect from over 200 medications, says the NIDCD.

Learn more about preventing hearing damage including tinnitus as part of our Keep Listening prevention campaign. Hearing damage from excess noise is the only fully preventable cause of hearing loss.

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