Question: What causes tinnitus?

Answer: Tinnitus can arise in any of the four sections of the ear: the outer ear, the middle ear, the inner ear, and the brain. Some tinnitus or head noise is normal. Anything, such as wax or a foreign body in the external ear, that blocks these background sounds will cause us to be more aware of our own head sounds which sounds the same as tinnitus. Fluid, infection, or disease of the middle ear bones or ear drum can also cause tinnitus.

One of the most common causes of tinnitus is damage to the microscopic endings of the hearing nerve in the inner ear. Loud noise exposure is a very common cause of tinnitus today, and it often damages hearing as well. Some medications (aspirin, for example) and other diseases of the inner ear can cause tinnitus. Tinnitus can in rare situations be a symptom of such serious problems as an aneurysm or a brain tumor