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Causes of Tinnitus



Tinnitus is defined as a "phantom" perception of sound in the ear and can be classified into two types.   Objective tinnitus is the type that can be heard by another observer whereas subjective tinnitus can only be percieved by the patient .

                                                       Objective  Tinnitus Causes:
 

muscular abnormalities
spastic activities of the palatal muscles
spastic activities of the stapedius muscle in the middle ear
abnormally open eustachian tubes
abnormalities in the large blood vessels near the ears
tumors of the middle ear space or nearby areas
temporal bone fractures
misconnection between adjoining arteries and veins
narrowing of the carotid  artery walls
high blood pressure
hyper or hypo thyroidism

 
 
Subjective Tinnitus Causes:
noise induced hearing loss
age related hearing loss
ear infection
wax build-up
otosclerosis (disease where the middle ear space fills with spongy bony growth)
problems with the eardrum
adverse drug reactions
auto-immune disorders
brain chemistry disruptions or disorders
substance abuse
poisoning or toxic reactions to ingested/ inhaled substances
metabolic disorders
closed head injuries 
multiple sclerosis
meningitis
encephalitis
acoustic schwannoma (tumor on the VIII  nerve)
brain disease or disorder