Loud noises
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Loud noises are famous for damaging or destroying the cilia (hair cells that prevent dust from entering the inner ear) in the middle ear. When damaged or destroyed, the cilia cannot be renewed and don't re-grow. This condition is the most common cause of tinnitus, with about 90 percent of about 50 million Americans suffering from tinnitus.
The functions of the sensory cilia include sensing and facilitating fluid flow in the inner ear, thus determining your balance and hearing ability. The cilia can also help in sensing the external environment and trap any foreign substances which may damage the inner ear. So, if the cilia get irritated, you're more likely to experience some sensory disorders and imbalance in your auditory system.
Also, when the cilia (situated in the cochlea) detect some pressure from the external environment, they swing around. The movement of the cilia prompts electric translation of these stimuli to the brain via the auditory nerve which is then translated by the brain as sound.
So when the cochlea becomes irritated, the cilia confuse the external stimuli with internal stimuli. The brain translate the internal stimuli as sound waves, thus tinnitus sufferers experience a lot of uncertain noises. When the cochlea gets damaged, usually due to a blow to the head, your cilia may change direction and transmit sound impulses to the brain even if there's no sound at all.
Too much exposure to loud noises may cause some form of tinnitus or noise-induced hearing loss. Remember, tinnitus is not an illness; it is a symptom, so treating tinnitus will mean treating the cause. You must avoid exposure to loud noises. You can do that by wearing ear plugs if you have to work in a noisy environment.
Other factors that may cause or worsen tinnitus include the following:
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Related topics
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- Vertigo
- Hypercusis
- Recruitment
- Meniere's disease
- Tips to lessen the severity of tinnitus
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