WHY DO WE HEAR NOISES, WHILE OTHERS DON'T?

OTOLOGIC REASONS FOR HEARING NOISES

Wax in the ear

perforation of lympanic membrane due to infection or trauma

collection of fluid in the middle ear causing muffling of voice with low pitched tinnitus. this is usually intermittent.

age-related deafness & tumour of the hearing nerve can lead to high pitched tinnitus, ringing in character.

exposure to loud noise may produce tinnitus that lasts for a short time.

Maniere's disease is characterised by a combination of low pitched fluctuating tinnitus, which becomes louder during attacks, fluctuating hearing loss & vertigo.

NON-OTOLOGIC REASONS FOR HEARING NOISES

drugs like aspirin, quinine, salicylates, streptomycin, dihydro streptomycin  neomycin, gentamicin are ototoxic drugs causing high pitched tinnitus.

vascular causes like atherosclerosis, hypertension cause high pitched tinnitus. In hypertension, tinnitus is fluctuating.

anaemia & low blood pressure causes low intensity tinnitus.

general diseases like Paget's disease, syphilis, multiple sclerosis

TM joint problem.