Medications That Cause Tinnitus

Common Causes Of Tinnitus

There are many common causes of tinnitus: injury, ear problems or even diseases and illnesses that are not related to the ear itself. There are a number of medications that cause tinnitus to become worse in those who already have it. 

Tinnitus is a hearing disorder that is also commonly called "ringing in the ears." As explained elsewhere on this website, someone with tinnitus may not only hear ringing sounds. They may hear noises like buzzing, whining, humming or something like a "whoosh."

The goal of this article is to list and describe the most common causes of tinnitus. However, it's important to get expert medical advice on all issues related to the ears and hearing, especially hearing loss.

Common causes of tinnitus Exposure to loud noises - This is one of the most common causes of tinnitus. Typically, long term exposure to loud sounds (a jack hammer, construction noises, gunfire or artillery explosions during combat, or high volume music) results in tinnitus. See our article on famous tinnitus sufferers to see the names of some famous people who hear ear noises or have tinnitus.

Sudden loud noises can also cause tinnitus: an explosion, a loudspeaker malfunction close to you, and so on. Often, this type of tinnitus is temporary, but permanent damage is possible.

Advancing age - We all know people whose hearing began to deteriorate as they got older. Tinnitus often comes along with this type of hearing deterioration, which is known medically as presbycusis hearing loss.

Anatomical or physical changes in ear structure - Injury from a blow or an accident can cause damage to bones and other structures in the ear which result in tinnitus.

A condition called otosclerosis hearing loss occurs when bones in your middle ear stiffen, resulting in tinnitus. Otosclerosis hearing loss is caused by abnormal bone growth, and it tends to be hereditary.

Excess earwax - This is also one of the most common causes of tinnitus. Ear wax serves a useful function by trapping dirt and foreign objects before they can reach the inner ear where they can do damage. But when too much ear wax accumulates, it blocks sounds from hitting the ear drum. This can cause a humming or muffling effect.

In many instances, you can remove excess ear wax yourself with a regular cleaning regimen. A number of ear wax removal products are available online or over-the-counter at pharmacies and grocery stores.

But if excess ear wax builds up and becomes hardened or impacted, you should have it removed by a doctor to make sure you don't damage parts of your ear in cleaning it out yourself. See our article on clearing a clogged ear.

Ear cell damage - There are extremely small hairs in your inner ear that play an important role in hearing. As sounds enter your ears, these hairs respond to pressure from the sound waves. They send a signal to the brain which "translates" these signals into sounds. Any damage to these hairs can cause them to send random impulses which your brain interprets as one of the sounds caused by tinnitus.

Meniere's disease - This is a disorder of the inner ear which is probably caused by abnormal inner ear fluid. It may also cause vertigo, intermittent hearing loss, and a feeling of fullness or ear pressure. It is named after French physician Prosper Meniere, who first described it in the mid-19th Century.

Other common causes of tinnitus As mentioned above, certain disorders that originate elsewhere in the body can cause something called pulsatile tinnitus. Pulsatile tinnitus can occur due to the following.

• Circulatory issues - Blood vessel disorders (like an artery with a kink in it or malformation of the capillaries), high blood pressure (hypertension), and atherosclerosis (narrowing of the arteries) can all play a role in causing tinnitus.
• Tumors near the ear - A condition called vascular neoplasm can cause tinnitus. Vascular neoplasms occur when a tumor presses on blood vessels in your head or neck.
• There's also something called an acoustic neuroma (also called vestibular schwannoma), which is a noncancerous tumor that appears on the cranial nerve running from your brain to your inner ear. Usually, it only causes tinnitus in one ear.
• Psychological issues - Anxiety, stress, and depression can also cause tinnitus. Psychological and emotional issues are likely when all hearing tests are normal and there's no indication of physical or anatomical problems.
   

Medications that cause tinnitus You are more likely to have tinnitus if you're taking certain medications. This is especially true if you're taking these medications in high doses. For instance, if you're taking 12 or more aspirin a day, you're at high risk for tinnitus.

Medications that cause tinnitus include the following:

• Certain antibiotics, notably chloramphenicol, erythromycin, tetracycline, vancomycin and bleomycin.
• Some cancer medications, especially mechlorethamine and vincristine.
• Certain diuretics, which are also commonly known as water pills.
• Quinine and malaria medications.

Tinnitus treatment often depends on the underlying cause. Your doctor will also suggest ways to suppress the sounds that tinnitus causes, including white noise machines, hearing aids, and sound masking devices.