Tinnitus is not a disease per se, but a symptom.
It is the same as a cough or fever, for example.
Please read more about tinnitus in this article.
A cold can also cause a fever, and other illnesses can also cause a fever.
Thus, tinnitus can be caused by a variety of factors.
Let's take a closer look at what causes tinnitus.
The general details of tinnitus are described in "Tinnitus is a virtual sound produced by the brain.".
Please refer to it.
Tinnitus caused by hearing
If your ears are temporarily damaged or your hearing is impaired due to noise
Tinnitus may occur if you have hearing loss.
This happens because your brain is buggy because you were originally able to hear sound, but now you are unable to hear sound as well as before.
What this means is that the brain is not able to hear the sound it used to hear at all. That's why we think it's strange.
What happens then is that they start making sounds on their own.
This is what tinnitus is.
Tinnitus caused by hearing loss is thus tinnitus due to brain function.
Please refer to "How tinnitus occurs when the ear becomes hearing loss" for more information on tinnitus caused by hearing loss.
Tinnitus due to ear problems
Tinnitus is not only caused by hearing loss, but also by a malfunction of the ear.
Ear malfunctions include, for example, inflammation such as otitis media or ear wax plugs.
The ear has many different organs before sound reaches the brain.
Since each of these organs has its own cause, it is difficult even for a specialist to immediately pinpoint what is wrong with the ear.
Please refer to "Tinnitus caused by a malfunctioning ear The cause varies depending on the location of the complaint" for a detailed explanation of tinnitus caused by ear problems.
Meniere's disease
Meniere's disease is another cause of tinnitus.
Meniere's disease not only causes tinnitus, but also dizziness, nausea, and hearing loss.
It is caused by an excessive increase in lymphatic fluid in the cochlea, a part of the ear, but it is not known why there is an excessive increase in lymphatic fluid.
Tinnitus due to brain disease
The most important tinnitus to be aware of is tinnitus caused by brain disease.
Brain diseases that cause tinnitus include auditory nerve tumors and atherosclerosis.
Small infarcts can also cause sudden hearing loss and sudden tinnitus.
It is almost impossible to determine by yourself whether tinnitus is caused by brain disease or by other causes, so you should always visit a hospital if you feel that you have tinnitus.
Please refer to "Is it too late if tinnitus is left untreated? Relationship between Tinnitus and Brain Disease" for more information on tinnitus caused by brain disorders.
Tinnitus caused by autonomic nervous system disturbance
If your hearing is not particularly bad, tinnitus may be caused by a disturbance of the autonomic nervous system.
The ear is a very sensitive organ and is easily affected by physical ailments.
There are several causes of autonomic disturbance, and while only one may be local, several may be affected.
For this reason, it is often not possible to immediately identify the cause of the problem when a patient is examined in a hospital.
The most common causes in particular are as follows
- Posture
- stiff shoulders
- Stress
- Lack of sleep
- Low atmospheric pressure
Why does this affect tinnitus?
Influence of posture
There are quite a few people whose posture is affected, and often this postural deterioration leads to things like stiff shoulders and worsening tinnitus.
Poor posture puts pressure on the autonomic nerves that run through the neck.
As a result, the autonomic nervous system is disturbed.
Many people, especially these days, have straight necks due to PC work and smartphones.
Many people's autonomic nervous system is disturbed due to these effects.
Please refer to "Is tinnitus caused by body strain? Effects of body strain and posture on the ear" for a detailed explanation.
Effects of stiff shoulders
Stiff shoulders may be disrupting the autonomic nervous system, although this can also be connected here if it is due to posture.
When the shoulders are stiff, the neck muscles are used to protect the shoulders.
This puts a strain on the autonomic nerves in the neck.
As a result, the autonomic nervous system is disturbed, causing tinnitus.
Please refer to "Why do I get tinnitus when my shoulder stiffness gets worse?" for a detailed explanation of autonomic disturbance caused by stiff shoulders.
Effects of Stress
Stress also disrupts the autonomic nervous system.
When stressed, the sympathetic nervous system becomes dominant, and if this condition persists, the balance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nerves is disrupted.
This causes the autonomic nervous system to be disturbed, resulting in tinnitus.
Please refer to "Why does stress-induced tinnitus occur?" for an explanation of the relationship between stress and tinnitus.
Effects of Sleep Deprivation
Lack of sleep also affects the autonomic nervous system.
Like stress, the sympathetic nervous system becomes dominant when sleep deprivation is present.
Therefore, chronic sleep deprivation leads to a state of sympathetic dominance.
When this happens, the balance is lost and the autonomic nervous system is disturbed, which can cause tinnitus.
Please refer to "Lack of sleep worsens tinnitus Improve your sleep habits to relieve tinnitus" for an explanation of the relationship between sleep and tinnitus.
Effects of Low Pressure
Have you ever heard of the term "weather-related illness"?
I have this too, but I get headaches and ringing in my ears when a low-pressure system approaches.
This is the effect of low pressure and adjusts the atmospheric pressure in the body.
This adjustment is carried out by the autonomic nervous system.
If this change in atmospheric pressure cannot be adjusted properly, headaches and tinnitus occur as a result.
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