Tinnitus can be a nagging and quite painful condition for many people.
While there are a number of health conditions that can cause or worsen the situation, sadly an exact cause is never found.
With that said, here are five tinnitus causes to be wary of.
Age-related hearing loss There is no denying the fact that a lot of people begin to lose their hearing with age.
Typically, around the age of 60 people's hearing will worsen and the gradual process can cause tinnitus.
The medical term for this form of hearing loss is presbycusis.
Loud noises Exposure to loud noises is a scary cause because of the new forms of technology and musical devices that are used today.
Any exposure to loud noise like chain saws and firearms is thrown into the mix, but portable music devices like MP3 players and iPods can cause noise-related hearing loss.
Earwax blockage As you have probably heard before, earwax does protect your ear canal by trapping dirt and slowing the overall growth of bacteria.
However, when too much earwax accumulates it will become too hard to wash away naturally.
As a result, this can lead to hearing loss or irritation of the eardrum and is one of many tinnitus causes.
Ear bone changes Otosclerosis is a term that refers to the stiffening of the bones in the middle ear.
This can affect your hearing and ultimately cause tinnitus.
This is something that is caused by abnormal bone growth and typically runs in the family.
Medications There is a large list of medications that can be included in the list of tinnitus causes.
Simple antibiotics like chloramphenicol, erythromycin and gentamicin have been known to cause the condition.
Cancer medications like vincristine and quinine medications used for malaria can also lead to tinnitus.
Believe it or not, taking an uncommonly high dosage of aspirin such as 12 or more a day can also lead to the condition.
The list of tinnitus causes can literally go on forever as there are a vast amount of medications, injuries and hereditary aspects that can contribute to the development.
Things as simple as stress and depression are commonly associated with it and can aggravate it.
Head injuries and neck injuries have also been known to affect the inner ear.
In all, there is a great deal of causes for tinnitus that make it extremely difficult to narrow down the exact reason yours has developed.
Just make sure you consult a doctor to try to find treatment as soon as possible.