Why Do My Ears Make Noise?
The Nerve From Ear to Brain Is Damaged
You are not alone with tinnitus. At Modern Hearing Solutions, it’s our specialty.
Tinnitus (pronounced tin·i·tus or ti·nigh·tus) is most commonly caused by damage to your hearing and auditory system, including the nerve that carries sound from your ear to your brain.
What Causes Tinnitus?
For some, a ringing, whooshing, or buzzing sound is the early warning sign that something is breaking down in the hearing system. This damage to the neural structures can come from:
Aging
Noise exposure
Toxic medications, including chemotherapy
A virus and other factors
Your powerful brain does its best to make up for the missing sound signals, creating a false perception of sound. That false sound is what we call tinnitus.
Tinnitus and Hearing Loss Are Connected
90%+
of people living with tinnitus can trace their ringing, whooshing, or buzzing directly to the progressive loss of nerves connecting the ear to the brain, also known as hearing loss.
50%
You can have “normal” hearing results with an auditory nerve from ear to brain that is up to 50% damaged.
“I have tinnitus, but I don’t have a problem with my hearing!”
This is one of the most common things we hear from tinnitus patients. While it’s true for some, the numbers above show why a thorough evaluation of your whole auditory system matters, even when a basic hearing test looks normal.
If It's Not Treated, Tinnitus Will Get Worse
Unfortunately, tinnitus is a warning of what’s to come from a damaged nerve. Early treatment is a crucial part of slowing down symptoms that will otherwise worsen over time.