Tinnitus or "ringing in the ears" is a symptom of problems with the inner ear not a disease as per say.
Tinnitus causes are numerous.
Because most are well known, they are avoidable but, some occur without explanation.
Certain medical conditions can cause an increase in Tinnitus symptoms and therefore require attention.
For your reference, here are some commonly know tinnitus causes: Catching a cold or a lousy sinus infection is known to induce tinnitus symptoms in certain individuals.
The good news is it's usually temporary.
Rock musicians, construction workers, heavy duty mechanics, lumberjacks and aircraft engineers are just a few examples of occupations that expose the worker to loud and prolonged noise.
Wearing protective gear for your ears can help prevent the damage to the microscopic nerve endings in the inner ear.
It's the damage caused by loud noises to these nerves that can cause tinnitus.
A common and often overlooked cause of temporary tinnitus is a build up of ear wax that causes a blockage and loss of hearing.
Antibiotics and some other prescription drugs have been known to cause ringing in the ears.
Although usually temporary side effects, it's always better to know the possibilities before starting a treatment so if you have any doubts, ask your doctor.
Although it's unclear as to the exact causes, suffering from a particular health problem or overall poor health is somehow linked to tinnitus.
Natural aging is known to be a contributing factor in some folks developing tinnitus.
Trauma to the head and neck can lead to a host of neurological conditions including hearing loss due to ringing in your ears.
One of both ears can be affected.
High blood pressure or hypertension can lead to tinnitus symptoms.
Keeping your blood pressure in the acceptable range should eliminate any concerns.
Medications used to treat hypertension are known to have positive side effects in tinnitus management.
A life plan based in poor nutrition, lacking regular exercise and high in alcohol and caffeine consumption can lead to tinnitus symptoms.
The same factors are contributors in cholesterol which in turn is another tinnitus cause.
Lastly, stress is a well-known tinnitus cause.
If you're living under stress, anxiety and/or depression and also suffering tinnitus symptoms, anything you can do to lower your level of stress will likely also have a positive affect on the ringing in your ears.
As you can see, tinnitus has a wide range of contributing factors.
Some related to medical conditions; some environmental and many not fully understood.
Regardless of the causes, the good news is, there are treatments available to help you eliminate the problem once and for all.