What Causes Tinnitus?

There are many hypotheses explaining the actual physiological mechanism of subjective tinnitus, but none proven. The most commonly accepted hypothesis is that the tiny hearing receptors (hair cells) in the inner ear spontaneously "fire" and send signals to the brain which are interpreted as a ringing sound. Because there is no proven mechanism, tinnitus is often the most frustrating symptom for the patient and the most difficult or stubborn symptom for the physician to treat.

Some persons with tinnitus simply ignore it, whereas others are severely bothered by it. This factor of tolerance is apparently more important than the loudness of the tinnitus. Tinnitus loudness measurements indicate that some persons with very loud tinnitus tolerate it very well, while others with a mild tinnitus claim to be on the verge of suicide if the tinnitus can’t be controlled.

There are many factors that are known to cause or aggravate tinnitus: Noise exposure (the most common cause), bruxism (jaw clenching), ear disease, infection, or injury, certain medications, excessive salt intake, alcohol, coffee, stress, etc. Tinnitus is commonly correlated with hearing loss and most people can identify a pattern between the cause (situation or incident) and effect (symptom). However, when tinnitus becomes enough of a problem to seek medical attention, a doctor must carefully investigate a possible cause and rule-out a treatable medical condition by giving a specific tinnitus cure.

For more information, go to www.CuringTinnitus.net