Tinnitus is mostly known as the result of being exposed to too much noise, but there are really many more potential causes. One has to remember that tinnitus is a nervous symptom, and nervous symptoms can in general be triggered by a wide range of causes. As a symptom, tinnitus can be vaguely compared to pain, and pain obviously can have a wide variety of cause, be it physical or even psychological (for instance stress). The same applies to tinnitus as well. Apart from being for instance the result of a noise trauma, it can be triggered by drugs (medicines), Eustachian tube (air pressure equalization) dysfunction, ear infections, ear wax, stress, depression and other causes. In some cases there does not even seem to be an obvious trigger, or it can be some combination of causes (including inherited factors).

It is practically impossible to protect oneself from all possible causes, as a) these connections are not very well researched, and b) each person reacts differently. The only measures that can generally be taken to prevent tinnitus from occurring in the first place is to use some kind of ear protection (ear plugs) in noisy environments, and probably try to avoid, if possible, taking any kind of medicines in high dosages for an extended period (more than a week or so).

Of course, once one has contracted tinnitus, then the problem is an altogether different one, namely trying to avoid to further aggravate the condition and finding measures to improve or even cure it. But I shall speak about this another time.

Thomas