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 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