Is My Tinnitus Inherited?

Woman grimacing with hand on the left side of her head suffering from tinnitus

Are you experiencing ringing in your ears that’s driving you mad? Learn whether your tinnitus is inherited or what the cause may be.

What is tinnitus?

A ringing, buzzing, or droning in the ears with no external cause of the noise is a condition known as tinnitus. The word tinnitus translates to “ringing like a bell.”

How will tinnitus impact my everyday living?

Tinnitus can be aggravating and can disrupt intimate interactions. It’s normally an indication that you have damaged hearing or some underlying health condition and not a disease in and of itself. You might hear tinnitus in one ear or both ears and it can hinder your ability to concentrate.

Regardless of how you’re experiencing tinnitus, it’s always bothersome. impact your sleep and even cause anxiety and depression.

What are the causes of tinnitus?

Tinnitus can be long lasting or it can come and go. Temporary varieties of tinnitus are normally caused by extended exposure to loud noises, such as a rock concert. There are a few medical issues that tend to go hand-in-hand with tinnitus.

A few of the conditions that might play host to tinnitus include:

  • Head or neck traumas
  • Hearing loss associated with aging
  • Exposure to loud sound for sustained periods of time
  • Bruxism, more commonly known as teeth grinding stemming from temporomandibular joint problems, or TMJ disorder
  • Excessive earwax accumulation
  • Numerous medications
  • Inner ear cell damage and irritation of the fragile hairs used to transport sound, causing arbitrary transmissions of sound to your brain
  • The ear bone has undergone changes
  • Acoustic neuroma where a benign tumor grows on the cranial nerve going from the inner ear to the brain
  • Anxiety or depression
  • Injuries that impact nerves of the ear
  • Infection of the inner ear
  • Meniere’s Disease

Is it possible that my parents may have passed down the ringing in my ears?

In general, tinnitus isn’t an inherited condition. However, your genes can play a part in this condition. You can, as an example, inherit a tendency for your ear bone to change. These changes are a consequence of irregular bone growth that can be handed down through family lines. Some of the other conditions that can cause ringing in the ear may be passed down from your parents, including:

  • Predisposition to anxiety or depression
  • Being prone to inner ear infections or wax build-up
  • Specific diseases

You can’t directly inherit tinnitus, but there are conditions that become breeding grounds for tinnitus which you could have inherited.

If you have a history of tinnitus in your family, it’s really in your best interest to make an appointment with us so we can assess your hearing.

The site information is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. To receive personalized advice or treatment, schedule an appointment.