Some things are not seemingly “dangerous” to health, but due to the effects they create and the deterioration of the quality of life, they make you completely helpless. One of them is tinnitus – it is persistent, boring, and tiring, and when it lasts for a long time, it can create nervousness, anger, anxiety…

But can electromagnetic field, an everyday occurrence that surrounds us each day, cause tinnitus?

Yes, it can. Electromagnetic radiation is scientifically proven to be a cause of tinnitus. And as we are surrounded by EMF daily, it is important to know what tinnitus is, how to recognize it, and how to treat it.

What is Tinnitus?

Tinnitus comes from the Latin word “tinnire” which means ringing and relates to an acoustic phenomenon that people “hear” without having an external source. The sounds that a person hears are different: whistling, buzzing, ringing, murmuring, noise – whatever the sound, it has a common very sonorous name – tinnitus.

It is estimated that 10-15% of the population has this problem, and for some people, it is lifelong. For others, this is a transient condition – an unpleasant episode in life.

Tinnitus is not a disease but a symptom, and there is a whole range of methods by which it can be recognized, alleviated, and even solved.

How to Recognize Tinnitus?

The characteristics of tinnitus vary, depending on the intensity, frequency, duration, and cause, and in relation to that, it can be divided into four categories: acute, chronic, subjective, and objective.

That is why it is important to notice the specifics of the symptoms as well:

• when does tinnitus occur;
• when does the noise or buzzing in the head decreases or intensifies;
• whether it occurs in one ear or both;
• whether a certain movement of the head makes tinnitus different, ie. whether it increases or decreases, or perhaps changes the type of sound.

The more accompanying details are known, the easier it will be for the doctor to determine the possible cause, and it will be easier for you to connect the possible causal factors if you carefully notice all the specifics of the appearance of symptoms.

The Most Common Causes and Risk Factors

The causes of tinnitus are different. Scientists assume that in most cases the cause is in the inner ear, although several other causes can cause this noise, and some of them are:

• cervical vertebra injury
• acute hearing loss
• damage (diseases) of the external hearing aid
• acoustic shock
• damage (diseases) of the auditory nerve

Also, stress, anxiety, exertion, physical illness, and accumulated wax in the ear can lead to a feeling of ear damage.

In general, a small percentage of cases of tinnitus are caused by a serious disease (malignant disease, significant changes in the diameter of blood vessels that supply the brain with blood, etc.). So, when more serious diseases are ruled out, other possible factors that lead to tinnitus are analyzed.

These can be:

• Middle ear infections
• Infections of the inner ear (ear)
• Damage to the eardrum
• Damage to the auditory nerve, etc.

Can EMF Cause Hearing Loss?

Naturally, electromagnetic pollution negatively affects health in many cases. According to the WHO (the World Health Organization), between 5 and 10% of the population is electrosensitive and suffers from a series of symptoms when exposed to this type of waves, such as migraines, insomnia, depression, or an increased chance of suffering from cancer.

Also, both migraines and depression can cause tinnitus. It is a very annoying ailment, in which the patient internally perceives sounds that do not really exist. It is something that can influence the quality of life and therefore the mood.

Can Cell Phones Cause Tinnitus?

A study in the United States showed that people who use a mobile phone a lot can lose their hearing. Research has shown that people who use a mobile phone for about an hour a day find it harder to hear high-frequency sounds, especially in the right ear, where most people hold the phone.

When we speak, we speak at certain frequencies, and vowels are usually low. Consonants are usually in the higher frequency range, and if you have such hearing loss, then you will not hear clearly. What happens is that the small “hairs” in the ear control the ability of a person to hear, and too much noise causes the weakening of them and eventually their death.

Scientists studied 100 people who used mobile phones and compared them with 50 who did not use them. The study lasted 12 months and found that people who used mobile phones had more significant high-frequency hearing loss than those who did not use them.

Otorhinolaryngologists have been warning for decades that exposure to any source of high noise can lead to complete hearing loss.

In addition, as modern mobile phones emit EMF (electromagnetic field), it increases the risk of tinnitus gradually appearing. As mobile phones work in combination with other everyday devices that emit EMF (WiFi routers, Bluetooth, etc.), it only increases the chances of tinnitus appearing.

Accompanying Symptoms

What happens if we are exposed to mobile phones and EMR too much and tinnitus appears? In addition to the buzzing that people “have to” listen to sometimes 24 hours a day, the environment often tells them to imagine this disorder. Yes, that’s right: they are often declared hypochondriacs. Although, hypochondria itself is a disease, and whatever you interpret it – a person has a health problem.

Maybe sometimes some people think that they have a problem that doesn’t really exist, but in the case of tinnitus, there are a few more problems. This disorder has accompanying symptoms that can negatively affect a person’s quality of life. Some of them are:

• Anxiety
• Difficulty concentrating
• Irritability
• Sleep disorder
• Depression
• Hypersensitivity to noise
• Headaches
• Ear pain

Treatment of Tinnitus

As each individual will experience a different form of tinnitus, it is recommended to visit a doctor immediately. After detailed examinations, analyses, and tests – the doctor will exclude certain groups of diseases and make a diagnosis, and based on that, appropriate therapy will be prescribed and recommendations will be given.

Because tinnitus itself is not a disease, if possible, the real cause will be treated. In some cases, a hearing aid will be recommended as a means of improving hearing and, therefore, life quality.

Final Words

Tinnitus is a serious condition that can cause a lot of damage to a person over time. When tinnitus is noticed, a person should always ask for help immediately.

And to reduce, or even nullify the risks of tinnitus appearing, moderate exposure to EMF-emitting devices is recommended. Naturally, nowadays it is impossible to avoid EMF radiation, but people can still lower the consequences of it by:

• Putting the phone on airplane mode when possible.
• Distancing EMF-emitting devices from our heads.
• Leading a healthier lifestyle in general.