Tinnitus | Causes & Risk Factors

What causes tinnitus?

The following are among the most common causes of tinnitus:

• Exposure to loud noises, which can lead to noise-induced hearing loss over time
• Hearing loss related to aging
• Certain drugs that can damage the inner workings of the ear. For example, taking high doses of aspirin every day may lead to tinnitus.
• Eustachian tube dysfunction
  
• Infections, such as otitis media or labyrinthitis
• Meniere’s disease, a condition that also causes a spinning feeling (also called vertigo)

Allergies, high blood pressure, low blood pressure, diabetes, tumors and head injuries can also cause tinnitus.

In many cases, the cause of tinnitus cannot be identified.