10 Causes of Tinnitus
As tinnitus is not medically recognized as a disease in itself; it is rather studied as a symptom of other systemic factors, or local ailments of the ear, or a side-effect of certain drugs. Some of these common causes are discussed below.
Senile hearing loss
Presbycusis or hearing loss with advanced age, is seen to be related to increased incidence of tinnitus in elderly. A study reports that incidence of tinnitus peaks at 14% in the age of 60-69 years. Tinnitus in this age correlated with hearing loss. With advancing age, components of the body, face deterioration. This also affects the hair cells, which are the part of the auditory apparatus. With hearing loss, the brain makes up for the sound deprivation by the perception of ringing in the ears. At this age, tinnitus is seen to be comparatively louder and more annoying. It is important that other causes which may cause tinnitus secondarily, are differentiated from presbycusis-related tinnitus. [4]