An accurate cause or trigger for Tinnitus is not yet completely understood, and cases may emerge without any obvious explanation. The symptoms of Tinnitus can begin suddenly or gradually, and with or without any clear reason. However, the most common causes of tinnitus may be associated with:
- Exposure to loud sounds
- Ear infections
- Emotional stress
- Head or ear injuries
- Hearing loss
- Medication side effects
- Earwax blockage
- Combination from any of these
A few cases of Tinnitus do appear to be associated with how you sit, your position when lying down, or on turning the head.
The pressure on your muscles, nerves, or blood vessels, as well as changes in the blood flow following these types of positions or movements, could also affect the intensity of your Tinnitus.
A current ear infection, cold, or injury may sometimes become a source for Tinnitus that may or may not be short-term. You may also find that major noise exposure, or ear syringing may trigger Tinnitus.
Stress can trigger your experience of Tinnitus, or result in your current Tinnitus becoming worse. Research has shown the link between depression and noise sensitivity. When you are under stress, low frequency noise may become irritating whether you are experiencing Tinnitus or not.
Famously, The Who’s guitarist Pete Townshend blamed his tinnitus on years of live rock concerts. While not all our clients have a rock-star background, we’ve all experienced a brief ringing in our ears at some point.