About 15 percent of the European population experiences ringing, crackling, or hissing in their ears. It’s not pleasant—those affected often feel so limited by this ringing that it impairs their quality of life. One to two percent of these individuals suffer from what is known as decompensated tinnitus. Until now, it was assumed that tinnitus was caused by various external factors. These range from excessive noise exposure and infections to psychological factors such as stress or emotional problems, which makes treatment extremely difficult. Scientists at the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden, in collaboration with European researchers from the Tinninet network, have now discovered evidence that certain forms of tinnitus are hereditary. In fact, the influence of genes even outweighs that of environmental factors.

The study results show that there is a genetic component to bilateral tinnitus—ringing in both ears—which is more pronounced in men than in women. A research group of European scientists led by Iris Maas of Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin reached the same conclusion. The group studied the likelihood of one twin developing tinnitus if the other twin has the condition, analyzing more than 10,000 pairs of identical and fraternal twins. The result: Among identical twins, the probability that both will develop tinnitus is higher than among fraternal twins. However, the researchers also found a significant difference only in cases of bilateral tinnitus.

Do you have relatives or friends who complain of persistent ringing in their ears? Or do you also hear hissing, crackling, or ringing in your ears? If so, don’t hesitate to see an ENT specialist. With targeted tinnitus therapies and specially customized hearing aids, doctors and hearing care professionals can help you perceive your surroundings despite the ringing in your ears.

Read here to learn how to recognize tinnitus and what treatment options are available.