Tinnitus is commonly called as a condition where a person has ear ringing.  This ear ringing which can be heard in either one or both ears is sometimes described by the patient as buzzing, hissing, ticking or roaring. 

Tinnitus itself is a symptom of an underlying medical condition.  The ear ringing that a person with tinnitus experiences will differ in the duration.  It may be intermittent or it can last longer for some.  There are basically two types of tinnitus, the pulsatile and non-pulsatile tinnitus.  Causes of tinnitus that are pulsatile are mostly the sounds that are created by the movements of the muscles in the ears, problems in the ear canal or circulatory problems in the face or neck  Causes of tinnitus that are non-pulsatile can be troubles in the nerves that involve hearing.  It is often said that the tinnitus sounds are coming from the head in this type of tinnitus.

Common causes of tinnitus are presbycusis which is otherwise known as hearing loss due to the aging process.  But it may also be caused by excessive exposure to extremely loud noises.  Tinnitus may happen in all categories of hearing loss and it can appear as a symptom of nearly any ear disorder.

Other causes of tinnitus include:  presence of excessive ear wax,  side effect of ototoxic drugs (the most common of which are antibiotics and aspirin),  ruptured eardrums,  head injuries, inner ear injuries,  sudden change in environmental pressure, circulatory problems, nerve problems, Meniere’s disease, otosclerosis, and tumors.

Tinnitus may also arise in certain disorders like that of anemia, hypertension and hypotension, ateriosclerosis and hypothyroidism.  For sensitive people, amalgam or those dark colored dental fillings which contains mercury can lead to tinnitus.  There are also some causes of tinnitus that are temporary like those experienced by those who just had a hair cut and a piece of hair enters the ears and gets deposited in the ear drums.  The vibration of these hair particles in the ear drum can create loud noises.

A person with a temporary type of tinnitus may not necessarily seek medical attention but if the tinnitus is accompanied by several other symptoms and the tinnitus sound gets worse, it is advisable to get medical treatment.  Tinnitus itself may not have a cure but the physician can help educating the patient on how to live with the tinnitus and making sure that there are no other serious problem that might have caused the tinnitus.