What Causes Tinnitus (and What Can I Do About It)?

While tinnitus commonly causes a ringing in your ears, it can also sound like a clicking, buzzing, or hissing. No matter what, you probably don’t enjoy living with this persistent noise that no one else can hear. 

That’s where we come in. Here at Gupta ENT Center in Royal Oak, Michigan, Anil K. Gupta, MD, offers specialized tinnitus care. That means we figure out what’s causing your hearing issue so we can properly address your tinnitus at its root. 

You can develop tinnitus as a result of several underlying health conditions or something relatively simple. Let’s explore some of the most common causes. 

Why people get tinnitus

Tinnitus usually develops because something else is going on in your body. That could be the hearing loss that naturally occurs with age, especially if you were regularly exposed to loud noise (e.g., worked in a noisy environment, listened to headphones with the volume all the way up). It could be a problem with your ear itself, like earwax blocking your ear canal or a sinus or ear infection. 

You could also experience tinnitus as a result of a foreign object in your ear or a traumatic ear injury. Or it could be a symptom of a separate condition, like allergies or Meniere’s disease.

Additionally, medication can play a role. In fact, tinnitus is a known side effect of more than 200 medications. If you recently started or stopped a new drug, talk with Dr. Gupta about it so he can determine if it could be affecting your ears. 

Ultimately, tinnitus doesn’t develop out of the blue. It’s a symptom you get as a result of something that’s going on in your ear or in your body. Fortunately, Dr. Gupta can evaluate your ears and your symptoms with the goal of identifying the root cause of your tinnitus. 

What you can do

Knowing what causes your hearing issue doesn’t just give you clarity. It also gives Dr. Gupta a way to deliver the most effective treatment. Alleviating your tinnitus often comes down to addressing what’s causing it. 

If you have tinnitus because of a blockage in your ear, for example, Dr. Gupta can remove it. Or if it’s allergies or an infection, treating that condition can often ease your tinnitus. 

When Dr. Gupta can’t directly address the issue causing your tinnitus, he explores options to help mitigate the persistent sound you hear. That could mean hearing aids, sound generators, relaxation techniques, and more. 

Avoiding exposure to loud noise can help to prevent your tinnitus from getting worse. 

Do you currently live with tinnitus symptoms? To find out what’s to blame and explore your treatment options, call our office at (248) 308-5971 to schedule your appointment today.