Tinnitus (pronounced “tin-it-tus”) is an abnormal noise in the ear.  Tinnitus is extremely common – nearly 36 million Americans have tinnitus. More than half of the normal population has intermittent tinnitus.

About 6% of the general population has what they consider to be “severe” tinnitus. It can sound like a low roar, a high-pitched ring or a variety of other sounds.  Tinnitus may be in both ears or just in one ear.  Seven million Americans are so severely affected that they cannot lead normal lives.

Types of tinnitus

There are two different categories or types of tinnitus.

Subjective tinnitus is tinnitus only you can hear. This is the most common type of tinnitus. It can be caused by ear problems in your outer, middle or inner ear. It also can be caused by problems with the hearing (auditory) nerves or the part of your brain that interprets nerve signals as sound.

Objective tinnitus (believe it or not) is tinnitus your doctor can hear when he or she does an examination. This rare type of tinnitus may be caused by a blood vessel problem, an inner ear bone condition or muscle contractions.

There are many causes of tinnitus, here are just a few

• Ear wax.
• Exposure to loud noise
• middle ear infection or fluid
• injury to the nerve from the ear to the brain, and central nervous system damage.
• aneurysms,
• increased pressure in the head (hydrocephalus), and
• hardening of the arteries.
• Brain tumors
• Loud noise both short term and long term. inner ear damage and tinnitus.
• Medications

Of adults ages 65 and older in the United States, 12.3 percent of men and nearly 14 percent of women are affected by tinnitus. Tinnitus is identified more frequently in white individuals and the prevalence of tinnitus is almost twice as frequent in the South as in the Northeast.

Tinnitus can be perceived in both ears, one ear or in some patients in the middle of the head and not in the ear.