Causes of tinnitus

Otologic: conductive hearing loss

  • external ear infection
  • acoustic Shock
  • cerumen (earwax) impaction
  • middle ear effusion

sensorineural hearing loss

  • excessive or loud noise
  • presbycusis (age-associated hearing loss)
  • Ménière's disease
  • acoustic neuroma
  • mercury or lead poisoning

 

ototoxic medications

  • analgesics:

    • aspirin
    • nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
    • antibiotics:

    • aminoglycosides e.g. gentamicin
    • chloramphenicol
    • erythromycin
    • tetracycline
    • vancomycin

chemotherapy and antiviral drugs:

  • bleomycin
    • interferon
    • pegylated interferon-alpha-2b
    • cisplatin
    • mechlorethamine
    • methotrexate
    • vincristine

loop diuretics:

  • bumetanide
    • ethacrynic acid
    • furosemide

others:

    • chloroquine
    • quinin

Psychedelic drugs:

  • Diisopropyltryptamine (DiPT)
  • 5-Methoxy-diisopropyltryptamine

 

neurologic disorders:

  • chiari malformation
  • multiple sclerosis
  • head injury
  • skull fracture
  • closed head injury
  • whiplash injury
  • temporomandibular joint disorder

metabolic disorders:

  • thyroid disorder
  • hyperlipidemia
  • vitamin B12 deficiency

psychiatric disorders:

  • depression
  • anxiety

other causes:

  • Tension Myositis Syndrome
  • fibromyalgia
  • hypertonia (Muscle Tension)
  • thoracic outlet syndrome
  • lyme disease
  • hypnogogia
  • sleep paralysis