What may increase your risk for problems from tinnitus?

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What may increase your risk for problems from tinnitus?

Many conditions, lifestyle choices, medicines, and diseases interfere with your ability to heal or fight infection. You may be at risk for a more serious problem from your symptoms if you have any of the following. Be sure to tell your health professional.

Conditions

• A history of a birth defect, chronic infection, or injury in or near the ear, mouth, or jaw
• A history of exposure to excessive noise
• A history of significant hearing loss
• A history of surgery or radiation therapy to the head or neck
• Use of hearing aids, earplugs, or earphones that fit inside the ear canal
• A recent ear injury, such as:
  • A direct blow to the ear
  • A penetrating injury to the ear
  • Injury to the middle ear from changes in air pressure, such as from scuba diving or flying
• A recent car crash that set off the air bag
• Older than age 40. Aging causes changes in the inner ear that can lead to ringing in the ears and hearing loss.
• Obesity

Lifestyle choices

• Alcohol abuse or withdrawal
• Drug abuse or withdrawal
• Eating or drinking too much caffeine (such as soda pop, coffee, tea, chocolate, and other caffeine-containing beverages or foods)
• Exercise or activities, such as bicycle riding, that keep the neck in a hyperextended position
• Severe weight loss either from malnutrition or excessive dieting
• Smoking or other tobacco use

Medicines

• ACE inhibitors, such as captopril (Capoten) and ramipril (Altace)
• Antibiotics, such as gentamicin, neomycin, and streptomycin
• Antidepressant medicines, such as amitriptyline (Elavil) and nortriptyline (for example, Pamelor)
• Anti-inflammatory medicines, such as aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen
• Birth control pills (oral contraceptives)
• Blood pressure medicine, such as captopril (Capoten) and ramipril (Altace)
• Heart medicines, such as nifedipine, quinidine (for example, Quinaglute), propranolol (for example, Inderal), and verapamil
• Local anesthetic agents, such as bupivacaine, lidocaine, and procaine
• Medicines used to treat cancer, such as cisplatin or taxol
• Medicine used to treat Parkinson's disease, such as levodopa
• Radiation therapy to the head or neck
• Vitamins or mineral supplements, such as niacin or vitamin A
• Water pills (diuretics), such as bumetanide (Bumex) and furosemide (Lasix)

Diseases

• Blood flow (vascular) problems, such as carotid vascular disease, AV malformations, and high blood pressure (hypertension)
• A family or personal history of other diseases, such as:
  • Acoustic neuromas
  • Anemia
  • Labyrinthitis
  • Ménière's disease
  • Otosclerosis
  • Thyroid disease
• Cancer
• Dental problems
• Diabetes
• Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection
• Malnutrition
• Nerve problems (neurologic disorders), such as multiple sclerosis or migraine headaches
• Sickle cell disease
• Temporomandibular (TM) disorder

Credits

Last updated:	February 13, 2008
Author:	Jan Nissl, RN, BS
Reviewed By:	William M. Green, MD - Emergency Medicine, Donald R. Mintz, MD - Otolaryngology
Editors:	Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Tracy Landauer