There are basically three core causes of tinnitus.  They are:

- Hearing loss – Doctors and scientists have uncovered that people with various kinds of hearing loss also have symptoms of tinnitus.

- Loud noise -  Exposure to loud noise can cause noise-induced hearing loss and tinnitus.

- Medicine – More than 200 medicines can cause tinnitus.  If you ears are ringing and you take any medicine, please ask your doctor or pharmacist if  your medicine could be the cause for your tinnitus.

-  Other health problems like, allergies, tumors, and problems related to the heart and blood vessels,  jaws, and neck may cause tinnitus.

It’s best to always consult with your doctor or a specialist who is knowledgeable and trained about treating tinnitus to determine what’s responsible for your tinnitus.

You can read more about causes of Tinnitus here.

If you have Tinnitus or ringing in your ears the best thing you can do for yourself is to try to think about things that will help you to cope with the condition.

Many people find that listening to music is very helpful.  Focusing on the music helps you forget about the ringing in your ears at least for a while.

Other try to mask the sound. by listening to recorded Sounds of Nature, like dolphins, ocean waves, the wind, or even crickets.

It’s best of course to avoid anything that can make your tinnitus worse.  This might include smoking, alcohol, and loud noise. Its especially important if you are regularly exposed to loud noise, like a construction or factory worker, an airport worker, or a hunter, that  you wear ear plugs or special earmuffs to protect your hearing and keep your tinnitus from getting worse.

If it is hard to hear over your tinnitus, and it affects your communication with friends and family, ask them to face you when they talk so that you can see their faces.  Seeing their expressions helps you to better understand them.  Also be sure to openly ask people to speak louder and enunciate, so that you may understand them.

These are a few “minor” things that can help you cope better with your tinnitus.

Here are three simple questions to help determine if you do?

1. Do you hear a ringing, roaring, clicking, or hissing sound in your ears?

2. Do you hear ringing, roaring, clicking, or hissing sounds often or all the time?

3. Does the ringing, roaring, clicking, or hissing sound annoy or bother you so much that it affects your sleep and daily living habits?

If you answered yes to any one or all of these questions, you might have tinnitus (tin-NY-tus).