A ringing ear is a common ailment in old age. Today, many youngsters are also affected by ringing ears. This article briefs on the causes of ringing ears. Read on…

Understanding the hearing mechanism would be necessary before dwelling into the causes of ringing ears. Cochlea helps in the auditory mechanism of the ear and it is located in the inner ear. Thousands of tiny auditory hairs line the sides of the cochlea. These auditory hairs help in maintaining the electrical charge of the auditory cells. These cells are stimulated by the sound waves and send signals to the brain. In people with hearing impaired, the auditory hairs are either damaged or bent. This would lead to partial or total hearing loss. This is considered as one of the causes of ringing ears in aging population. The auditor hairs could also be damaged due to sound pollution or due to trauma. Thus one of most common causes of ringing ears is mainly related to auditory hair cell damage.

What are the Causes of Ringing Ears?

Ringing ears or tinnitus is a medical condition when an individual experiences a ringing sound in either both or one of his ears. There is a possibility of ringing ears to occur in middle ear, inner ear and outer ear. An individual with tinnitus hears the ringing sound because cochlea is unable to send normal sound signals to the brain. This could cause confusion in the brain. Hence the brain reciprocates by developing its own sounds when it is not able to process the natural sound signals. Here are a few possible causes of ringing ears.

One of the possible causes of ringing ears is the ear infection. When an ear is infected, there is an inflammation in middle ear, eardrum and the bones. The infection could have been caused by cold. In such cases the virus or bacteria reaches the middle ear and Eustachian tube.

Sound pollution is another cause of ringing ears. Today, ringing ear is common among youngsters also. The reason is exposure to loud music and noises. Remove excess wax from your ears because it can block the sounds from reaching the brain.

Ringing ears are also caused by continuous stress. Studies reveal, ringing ears could be aggravated if an individual is under constant stress. This is found to be one of the major causes of ringing ears in a healthy person.

A person who is suffering from sinus and allergies are prone to ringing ears. The reason is the medication he takes could cause the mucous lining of the inner ear to become thicker. This builds up over a period of time and blocks the Eustachian tubes leading to ringing ears.

Head or brain injury is another cause of ringing ears. Tumor growths such as acoustic neuroma, glomous and ostosclerosis could cause ringing ears.

Another medical condition that leads to ringing ear is vascular abnormalities and the strain on the temporomandibular joint during a dental procedure.

Consumption of certain foods such as red wine, cheese, chocolate regularly could lead to ringing ears. Avoid spirits made from grain and also foods rich in salicylates.

The other causes of ringing ears are the Meniere’s disease, blood pressure, fibromyalgia and many more. However, ringing ears can be cured in the initial stages. A person suffering from ringing ears should cut down on coffee and totally avoid products that contains aspirin. Cutting down on cigarretes and tobbaco also helps in the cure of ringing years. However, in older people, it is advisable to use digital hearing aid.

By Maya Pillai Published: 8/7/2008

Health information for the aging

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