[david_allison]

Anecdotally, I somewhat agree with you (infection is a major cause).

I've had tinnitus for most of my life. I still go to loud venues and although it's rare for me to not use earplugs, I'm still aware of the gradual damage I'm causing from this.

I had Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss (SSHL) recently and I'd liken it to an instant 50/60 years of hearing loss at my current level of deterioration.

I'm extremely lucky to have a doctor on the public health service who gave me an instant appointment prescribed the correct medication. I'd very likely would be near-deaf in one ear if I'd waited for private care.