Tinnitus is a condition that causes a ringing in the ear or other noise. The noise of tinnitus is a phantom sound that is perceived when no such noise is present in the individual’s environment. An individual with tinnitus may experience an constant or intermittent episode of sound that is not actually there.

One theory about the cause of tinnitus is that it is due to damage to the sensory cells to the auditory nerve or damage to the auditory nerve itself. The brain is thought to receive some sort of error message from the damaged cells that the brain translates into a recurrent or ongoing sound. This theory is similar to the process that causes phantom limb pain which is pain in a limb that has been amputated.

In addition to nerve or sensory cell damage, other potential causes of tinnitus include exposure to loud noise, stiffening of the components of the middle ear, age-related hearing loss, or earwax blockage. Stress and depression have been considered potential causes of tinnitus. Head and neck tumors and some medical conditions may be causes of tinnitus. Some medications have been linked to tinnitus.

Common sounds of tinnitus are whistling, humming, thumping, clicking, ringing, crackling, or buzzing noises. Everyone with tinnitus may experience different sounds. Some may have a piercing whistling sound while others may hear a noise similar to an electric buzzer. Other sounds of tinnitus are described as sounding like radio interference, hissing steam, screeching, pulsating, running water, chirping crickets, bells, or beating sounds.

Pulsatile tinnitus is characterized by hearing your own pulse. Someone with tinnitus may experience a single sound or a combination of sounds. Individuals with tinnitus may have variations in volume of the sounds of tinnitus. Many people with tinnitus experience higher volume of sound when they are exercising or engaged in activity in which their heads are jarred or in motion.

There is no cure for tinnitus. If the cause of tinnitus is known, the treatment for tinnitus may be focused on treating the cause such as changing medication or reducing blood pressure. White noise machines and masking devices work to interfere with the production of the sound annoyance by replacing it with a less obtrusive sound. Some medication and alternative treatments such as acupuncture and hypnosis are used for treating tinnitus.