Tinnitus is common, but its continuity or recurrence may be an indication of an underlying medical condition. Severe cases may also cause some associated symptoms to appear, including difficulty sleeping and poor concentration. In addition, it may affect a person’s personal and social life. So what is it Causes of sudden tinnitus How is the diagnosis and treatment made?

Types of tinnitus

There are two types of tinnitus, namely:

1. Subjective tinnitus:

It is the most common type of tinnitus, and only the person with it can hear it. It may be caused by problems in the outer, middle, or inner ear, or as a result of problems with the auditory nerves, or the part of the brain that interprets nerve signals as sound, which is known as the auditory pathways.

2. Objective tinnitus:

It is a rare type of tinnitus that the doctor can hear during an examination. Among its causes is a problem in the blood vessels, an abnormal formation of the middle ear bones, or muscle contractions.

Causes of sudden tinnitus

There are many causes of sudden tinnitus, the most prominent of which are:

1. Raised Voices:

Exposure to loud sounds is the most common cause of tinnitus. About 90% of those affected suffer from some level of hearing loss, as a result of damage to the sound-sensitive cells in the cochlea. Pilots, carpenters, heavy equipment operators, and loud music listeners are among the most vulnerable people.

2. Earwax blockage

Which may result from an ear infection, wax accumulation, or a benign tumor in the nerve that allows us to hear, which is known as the auditory nerve.

3. Taking some types of medication

Tinnitus may occur as a side effect of taking some types of medication, such as:

• • Some types of antibiotics, such as polymyxin B.
  • Cancer drugs such as cisplatin and methotrexate.
  • Some types of antidepressants.
  • Some types of anti-inflammatories.
  • Loop diuretics.
  • Quinine, which is one of the medicines used to treat malaria.
  • Take high doses of aspirin.

One of the reasons for sudden tinnitus is also that as a person ages, the condition of the cochlea or any of the other parts of the ear may deteriorate. Which may lead to tinnitus, in addition to the possibility of hearing impairment.

5. Meniere’s disease

It is a chronic disorder that affects the inner ear, and its occurrence is not related to a specific age. Infection with it leads to tinnitus, vertigo, and hearing loss. In most cases, Meniere’s disease affects only one ear.

6. Middle ear hardening

Otosclerosis occurs as a result of abnormal bone formation in the middle ear, which leads to noise and poor sound transmission from the middle ear to the inner ear.

7. Inner ear muscle spasms

This may lead to tinnitus and hearing loss, which may be caused by neurological diseases such as multiple sclerosis.

8. Eustachian tube blockage

This may lead to an imbalance in the air pressure inside the ear, as a result of the accumulation of some secretions in the Eustachian tube. The reason behind this may be due to sinusitis, allergies, or infection with certain types of viruses.

9. Infection with some diseases

One of the causes of sudden tinnitus may be a medical condition such as:

• Hypertension
• allergy
• Anemia
• Diabetes
• Hypothyroidism
• autoimmune deficiency
• Head or neck injuries
• Cardiovascular diseases
• Neck or jaw problems, such as temporomandibular joint syndrome

Also, some wrong health and eating habits may lead to an increase in tinnitus in some people, such as smoking, caffeine-containing drinks, or eating certain foods.

The most common symptom

Symptoms of tinnitus may include hearing phantom noises in the ear, which may vary in intensity from low to loud, such as:

• buzz
• clicked
• ringing
• Hadeer
• who’s voice
• hiss

You may hear that noise in one or both ears. The tinnitus may be episodic, come and go, or be continuous all the time.
as it may appear Some symptoms associated with tinnitus According to the medical condition such as:

• Fatigue
• Insomnia
• Difficulty concentrating
• Poor memory
• Anxiety and stress
• Depression
• Pressure nervous

Tinnitus treatment

In order to determine the appropriate treatment, the underlying cause must be determined. However, in general, some procedures may be useful in alleviating or eliminating some of the causes of sudden tinnitus, such as:

1. Ear cleaning

The doctor may resort to cleaning the ear, using a small curved suction tool called a scraper, or the ear is gently washed with warm water.

2. Treat the infection

If the ear has an infection, your doctor may prescribe hydrocortisone ear drops to relieve itching, as well as an antibiotic to fight infection.

3. Surgical intervention

Doctors do not resort to surgical intervention except in rare cases, such as a tumor, ear sclerosis, or underlying vascular conditions.

4. Take some medication

The doctor may prescribe some medications to reduce the level of tinnitus, such as taking low doses of anti-anxiety medications such as Valium, or antidepressants such as Elavil.

5. Medication replacement

If the doctor concludes that taking a certain drug is the cause of this condition, the doctor may recommend stopping it, reducing its use, or replacing it with another drug.

But if the reason behind the tinnitus is temporomandibular joint syndrome, the doctor will ask you to visit a dentist in order to receive the appropriate treatment.