It is important that people who suffer from ringing in the ears determine the cause of tinnitus that they experience. It is for the reason that it is treated based on what caused it. One thing that you should take note of is that its presence can mean that you are suffering from a particular medical condition.

Presbycusis or age-associated loss of hearing, vitamin B12 deficiency, thyroid disorder, head and neck injuries, and circulatory disorders like atherosclerosis, malformation of capillaries and hypertension are some of the medical conditions known to be causes of the ringing in your ears.

There are four main causes, however, and these are noise-induced cochlear damage, stress, sinus problems or allergies and Meniere's Disease.

Cochlear damage caused by noise is the most common cause of tinnitus. It happens when the tiny hairs in the cochlea get bent or broken due to a sudden or repeated exposure to loud noises. These tiny hairs, when stimulated by the pressure of sound waves, send electrical impulses to the auditory nerve which the brain interpret as sound. However, when they get damaged, the transmit electrical impulses randomly to the brain. As a result, a sound can be hear even though there is no external source, which we know as tinnitus or ringing in the ears.

Prolonged periods of stress, on the other hand, causes the hypothalamus to be severely affected. In effect, the hypothalamus is not able to produce essential chemicals that the body needs to function normally. When this happens, unhealthy conditions take place and one these is ringing in the ears.

Then there is sinus problems or allergies. It is not these conditions that directly make you experience the unwanted sound, however. It is actually the medications that their sufferers take such as antibiotics and antihistamines. They cause the thickening of the mucous in the middle ear. The resultant pressure then causes certain ear infections as well as tinnitus.

Meniere's Disease is another known cause of tinnitus. It is an inner disorder that is usually associated with vertigo. The inner ear has this fluid that bathes the inner ear's sensory cells, making them to function normally. The fluid is also maintained at a constant volume. However, when the inner ear is damaged, the fluid fluctuates, thus causing vertigo, dizziness, and of course, ringing in the ears.