Doctors do not consider tinnitus a disease. Instead, it is regarded as a medical condition resulting from a variety of underlying health issues, such as:

* Multiple sclerosis or other forms of neurological damage

* Prolonged ear infections

* Chronic sinusitis or allergies that promote fluid build-up in the middle ear

* Foreign objects piercing the eardrum

* Excessive production of ear wax

* Continuous exposure to loud noises 

* Benzodiazepine withdrawal

* Zinc deficiency (zinc is an essential mineral vital to synthesizing protein in the body)

Tinnitus may also accompany hearing loss associated with aging and deterioration of the inner ear mechanisms. People over 55 commonly reporttinnitus symptoms as well as difficulty hearing sounds that possess the same range frequencies as the ringing and buzzing noises associated withtinnitus. Otolaryngologists suggest this is due to a self-regulating response initiated by neurons in the dorsal cochlear nucleus that are trying to compensate for the loss of sufficient auditory input.

People diagnosed with subjective tinnitus report a ringing in the ears that is not empirically detectable by the physician. Otologic disorders such as hearing loss caused by extended exposure to loud sounds, eardrum perforations, certain prescription medications or autoimmune disorders are frequent causes of subjective tinnitus.

Pulsatile tinnitus is a common form of subjective tinnitus that is ascertainable when a person "hears" the sound of his or her pulse beating in time with accompanying hissing or humming noises. Usually due to a change in blood flow turbulence close to the ear, pulsatile tinnitus may indicate the presence of an ear infection, high levels of aspirin in the body or something more serious like a carotid artery aneurysm.

Alternately, a diagnosis of objective tinnitus means that an otologist can actually perceive noises emanating from the inner ear. Objective tinnitusnoises are usually crackling or clicking noises occurring when muscles in the middle ear experience strong spasms or blood vessels are suffering an increase in blood flow pressure. Doctors can detect objective tinnitus using a stethoscope similar to the kind used to listen to the heart.

Noninvasive procedures for eliminating objective tinnitus include cleaning the ear if excessive ear wax is affecting the functionality of middle ear muscles, medications to relax muscle spasms or antidepressants for people who have a dual diagnosis of depression and tinnitus. Recent studies show that it is not uncommon for depressed patients to experience intermittent tinnitus.

* Cochlear implants

* Gamma knife radiosurgery when tumors are causing tinnitus

* Repair of congenital deformities within the middle and inner ear

* Antidepressants

* Avoiding caffeine and nicotine (two primary causes of increased blood flow pressure)

* Taking zinc supplements if the person is found to have a zinc deficiency

Because the reasons behind subjective tinnitus are not as clear-cut as reasons underlying objective tinnitus, patients may have to experiment with several treatment plans while relying on a "white noise" machine to help them sleep. 

If a person develops tinnitus symptoms following trauma or exposure to dangerously loud noises (gunshots or explosions, for example) the condition may subside in several months but leave a certain amount of permanent hearing loss, especially if the trauma was severe enough to cause structural damage to inner ear hair cells or to the auditory vestibular nerve.