What causes Tinnitus?

I was born with tinnitus (ringing in the ears). I thought it was normal and the earliest I remember having it was when I was two years old. My parents bought my hearing aids because as I got older my hearing became slightly bad. I inherited it from my mom, but it is not NEARLY as bad as my mom. The hearing aids do not help and they bother my ears making them itchy. I had two diffrent types of molds too. I hear crackling sometimes too. It sounds like sparks flying everywhere. What causes this? Like, I dont mean stuff like loud noises etc, I mean like what makes me (and others) hear this? I'd just like to know. Thanks.

The exact physiological cause or causes of tinnitus are not known. There are, however, several likely sources, all of which are known to trigger or worsen tinnitus.

Noise-induced hearing loss - Exposure to loud noises can damage and even destroy hair cells, called cilia, in the inner ear. Once damaged, these hair cells cannot be renewed or replaced. Hearing loss can also be caused by excessive noise exposure. Coincidentally, up to 90 percent of all tinnitus patients have some level of hearing loss.

Wax build-up in the ear canal - The amount of wax ears produce varies by individual. Sometimes, people produce enough wax that their hearing can be compromised or their tinnitus can seem louder. If you produce a lot of earwax, speak to your physician about having excess wax removed manually-not with a cotton swab, but by an otolaryngologist (also called an ear, nose, and throat doctor).

Certain medications - Some medications are ototoxic-that is, the medications are toxic to the ear. Other medications will produce tinnitus as a side effect without damaging the inner ear. Effects, which can depend on the dosage of the medication, can be temporary or permanent. Before taking any medication, make sure that your prescribing physician is aware of your tinnitus, and discuss alternative medications that may be available.

Ear or sinus infections - Many people, including children, experience tinnitus along with an ear or sinus infection. Generally, the tinnitus will lessen and gradually go away once the infection is healed.

Jaw misalignment - Some people have misaligned jaw joints or jaw muscles, which can not only induce tinnitus, but also affect cranial muscles and nerves and shock absorbers in the jaw joint. Many dentists specialize in this temporomandibular jaw misalignment and can provide assistance with treatment.

Cardiovascular disease - Approximately 3 percent of tinnitus patients experience pulsatile tinnitus; people with pulsatile tinnitus typically hear a rhythmic pulsing, often in time with a heartbeat. Pulsatile tinnitus can indicate the presence of a vascular condition-where the blood flow through veins and arteries is compromised-like a heart murmur, hypertension, or hardening of the arteries.

Certain types of tumors - Very rarely, people have a benign and slow-growing tumor on their auditory, vestibular, or facial nerves. These tumors can cause tinnitus, deafness, facial paralysis, and loss of balance.

Head and neck trauma - Physical trauma to the head and neck can induce tinnitus. Other symptoms include headaches, vertigo, and memory loss.

Certain disorders, such as hypo- or hyperthyroidism, Lyme disease, fibromyalgia, and throacic outlet syndrome, can have tinnitus as a symptom. When tinnitus is a symptom of another disorder, treating the disorder can help alleviate the tinnitus.
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Is tinnitus hereditary?

There appears to be a predisposition based on heredity for some people when they are exposed to loud sounds, but whether or not tinnitus is genetically indicated is not certain. Scientists working on the Human Genome Project, for example, have not discovered a "tinnitus gene," but they have identified genes that are responsible for a few rare varieties of hearing loss, temporomandibular joint (TMJ) dysfunction, Ménière's Disease, and acoustic Neuroma. These conditions frequently include tinnitus as a side effect, which suggests that there might be a connection. For now, however, a connection between your mother's tinnitus and your tinnitus is still unknown.
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I would suggest getting evaluated by an ENT (Ear, Nose, & Throat Physician) to see if there is any physical cause like TMJ that could be causing or contributing to your Tinnitus. Hearing Aids will do nothing for Tinnitus…. they will only help your hearing loss. Get checked….the cracking noise sounds like it may be jaw related. I have Tinnitus caused by loud noise & I do not get the cracking ever…just the high pitched buzzing. If you have anymore questions, check this site ou for more information:
http://www.ata.org/abouttinnitus/index.php
Good luck!