Woman grimacing with hand on the left side of her head suffering from tinnitus

Are you experiencing ringing in your ears that’s driving you crazy? Learn whether your tinnitus is inherited or what the cause might be.

What is tinnitus?

Tinnitus is the term describing a person’s perception of a ringing, droning, or buzzing in the ear with no external stimulus present to explain this experience. The term tinnitus translates to “ringing like a bell.”

How will tinnitus impact my daily living?

Tinnitus can be aggravating and can disrupt intimate connections. It’s normally an indication that you have damaged hearing or some underlying health condition and not a disease in and of itself. Your concentration can be seriously interrupted when you begin to hear tinnitus in one or both ears.

Regardless of the way in which you’re experiencing tinnitus, it is always disruptive. Sleep loss, anxiety, and even depression can also be triggered by tinnitus symptoms.

What are the causes of tinnitus?

Tinnitus can be persistent or temporary. Short term varieties of tinnitus are typically brought on by extended exposure to loud sounds, like a rock concert. There are a number of medical conditions that tend to go hand-in-hand with tinnitus.

A few of the circumstances that could play host to tinnitus include:

  • A benign tumor, called acoustic neuroma, forms on cranial nerve
  • Exposure to loud sound for extended time periods
  • Anxiety or depression
  • Injuries to the neck or head
  • Meniere’s Disease
  • Inner ear cell damage and irritation of the sensitive hairs used to transport sound, causing random transmissions of sound to your brain
  • Age-related hearing impairment
  • Changes in the structure of the ear bone
  • Several medications
  • Injuries that affect nerves of the ear
  • Bruxism, generally known as teeth grinding caused by temporomandibular joint problems, or TMJ disorder
  • Excessive earwax accumulation
  • Infection of the inner ear

Is it possible that my parents may have passed down the ringing in my ears?

Tinnitus isn’t directly hereditary. But the symptoms can be influenced by your genes. For instance, ear bone changes that can result in tinnitus can be inherited. Irregular bone growth can trigger these changes and can be handed down through genetics. Some of the other conditions that can result in ringing in the ear could be passed down from your parents, including:

  • Being prone to inner ear infections or wax build-up
  • Being predisposed to depression or anxiety
  • Specific diseases

The ringing in your ear isn’t directly inheritable, but you might have been genetically susceptible to the disorders that are breeding grounds for tinnitus.

If you have a history of tinnitus in your family, it’s truly in your best interest to make an appointment with us so we can evaluate your hearing.

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The site information is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. To receive personalized advice or treatment, schedule an appointment.

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