Causes Tinnitus

1 causes

1.1 subjective tinnitus

1.1.1 hearing loss
1.1.2 associated factors


1.2 objective tinnitus
1.3 pulsatile tinnitus

causes

there 2 types of tinnitus: subjective tinnitus , objective tinnitus. tinnitus subjective, meaning others cannot hear it. subjective tinnitus has been called tinnitus aurium , non-auditory or non-vibratory tinnitus. in rare cases tinnitus can heard else using stethoscope, , in less rare - still uncommon - cases can measured spontaneous otoacoustic emission (soae) in ear canal. in such cases objective tinnitus, called pseudo-tinnitus or vibratory tinnitus.

subjective tinnitus

subjective tinnitus frequent type of tinnitus. can have many possible causes, commonly results hearing loss. frequent cause of subjective tinnitus noise exposure damages hair cells in inner ear. subjective tinnitus can heard affected person , caused otological or neurological conditions including triggered infections or drugs.

there growing body of evidence suggesting tinnitus consequence of neuroplastic alterations in central auditory pathway. these alterations assumed result disturbed sensory input, caused hearing loss. hearing loss indeed cause homeostatic response of neurons in central auditory system, , therefore cause tinnitus.

hearing loss

the common cause of tinnitus noise-induced hearing loss. such hearing loss may present in hidden form, i.e. in persons showing normal audiogram.

hearing loss may have many different causes; among tinnitus subjects, major cause cochlear damage.

ototoxic drugs can cause subjective tinnitus, may cause hearing loss, or increase damage done exposure loud noise. damages can occur @ doses not considered ototoxic. on 260 medications have been reported cause tinnitus side effect. in many cases, however, no underlying cause identified.

tinnitus can occur due discontinuation of therapeutic doses of benzodiazepines. can protracted symptom of benzodiazepine withdrawal , may persist many months. medications such bupropion may result in tinnitus.

associated factors

factors associated tinnitus include:

ear problems , hearing loss:

conductive hearing loss

acoustic shock
loud noise or music
middle ear effusion


sensorineural hearing loss

excessive or loud noise
presbycusis (age-associated hearing loss)
ménière s disease
endolymphatic hydrops
superior canal dehiscence
acoustic neuroma
mercury or lead poisoning
ototoxic medications




neurologic disorders:

arnold–chiari malformation
multiple sclerosis
head injury
temporomandibular joint dysfunction
giant cell arteritis


metabolic disorders:

vitamin b12 deficiency
iron deficiency anemia


psychiatric disorders

depression
anxiety disorders


other factors:

vasculitis
some psychedelic drugs can produce temporary tinnitus-like symptoms side effect

5-meo-det
diisopropyltryptamine (dipt)


benzodiazepine withdrawal
intracranial hyper or hypotension caused by, example, encephalitis or cerebrospinal fluid leak



objective tinnitus

objective tinnitus can detected other people , caused involuntary twitching of muscle or group of muscles (myoclonus) or vascular condition. in cases, tinnitus generated muscle spasms around middle ear.

spontaneous otoacoustic emissions (soaes), faint high-frequency tones produced in inner ear , can measured in ear canal sensitive microphone, may cause tinnitus. 8% of soaes , tinnitus have soae-linked tinnitus, while percentage of cases of tinnitus caused soaes estimated @ 4%.

pulsatile tinnitus

pulsatile tinnitus can symptom of intracranial vascular abnormalities , should evaluated irregular noises of blood flow (bruits). people experience sound beats in time pulse (pulsatile tinnitus, or vascular tinnitus). pulsatile tinnitus objective in nature, resulting altered blood flow, increased blood turbulence near ear (such atherosclerosis, venous hum, can arise subjective phenomenon increased awareness of blood flow in ear. rarely, pulsatile tinnitus may symptom of potentially life-threatening conditions such carotid artery aneurysm or carotid artery dissection. pulsatile tinnitus may indicate vasculitis, or more specifically, giant cell arteritis. pulsatile tinnitus may indication of idiopathic intracranial hypertension.