Feeling satisfied about how your day went, you are more than ready to go to sleep. However, you hear a sound from one or both of your ears even though nobody or nothing is producing any sound. You cannot get to sleep ans ask yourself, “Why is there ringing in my ears?”

Do not worry, though, for you are not the only one who has asked this question. This question has been probably asked by almost all of the 66 million of individuals in the United States. And what do you and these 66 million people have in common? You all have tinnitus, which is generally characterized by ringing in the ears. It is defined as the perception of sound even though there is no external source. It is not a disease, but it is a symptom of an underlying medical condition. It is not life-threatening, but its implications and effects can be debilitating when they are not properly managed or addressed to.

What are the possible causes of the ringing in my ears, you may ask. Tinnitus is usually attributed to age-related hearing loss, although it has other causes. These causes include ear infections, head and neck injuries, dental and head surgeries, long-term use of ototoxic drugs (analgesics, for example), thyroid disorder, vitamin B12 deficiency, hypertonia (muscle tension) and lyme disease.

There are four known causes of tinnitus, however. The first and the most common is repeated exposure to loud noise. Many tinnitus sufferers attribute the cause to listening to their iPods and MP3 players at a high volume. People working in very noisy places such as construction sites and airports are also likely to develop the unwanted noise. Another main cause is stress. While it causes tinnitus, it also tends to increase the ringing sound's level for those who already have it. The third known cause is sinusitis or allergy. Those who suffer from sinusitis or allergy can have ringing in their ears because of the drugs that they use to treat their conditions: antibiotics and antihistamines. These drugs are known to thicken the mucous in the middle ear, which causes certain ear infections and of course, ear ringing. The last is an inner ear disorder called Meniere's Disease. An attack from the disease can be preceded by hearing fluctuation and loud tinnitus noises.

You have to begin to ask yourself, “Which of these causes could have possibly caused the ringing in my ears?” This is mainly because the treatments for tinnitus are significantly dependent on its cause. You may ask your health care provider to help you determine with a fair degree of certainty what caused the unwanted sound that you are experiencing, and then find the treatment that is appropriate for you.