What Is Tinnitus?

Tinnitus is the constant hearing of a sound when there is no sound present.  Some describe it as a ringing sound, a hiss, or a high pitched tone.  The sound is continual, and it varies from one tinnitus suffer to another.

How Is Tinnitus Caused?

Tinnitus is caused by either a single extremely loud sound or by loud sounds over a period of time.  I know a military vet who got severe tinnitus from the sound of jets taking off in close proximity.  Another guy I know got it from a single bomb explosion that was right next to him.  Listening to loud music at a concert or club, if you're in a band, if you play music loud on your iPod, or monitoring music very loud as a sound engineer, over a period of time any of these scenarios could cause tinnitus.  If you cut grass for a living and don't wear earplugs, I would imagine that could eventually cause it too.

It can also be caused by prescription drugs in the benzodiazepine family or even by over the counter drugs like ibuprofen.  I heard of a man who got severe tinnitus from MSG in Chinese food.  The cook made a mistake and loaded it up heavy with MSG.