For many people, tinnitus is a high-pitched ringing in one or both ears. For you, it may be a buzzing, whistling, popping, hissing or roaring noise. Tinnitus may be constant or may come and go. Almost everyone at one time or another has experienced brief periods of mild ringing or other sounds in the ear.
Some people have more annoying and constant types of tinnitus.
As many as 30 million Americans consider their tinnitus a problem. A million or more persons find that their tinnitus prevents them from leading a normal life. Just as fever or headache accompanies many different illnesses, tinnitus is a symptom common to many problems, both physiological and psychological. Chances are the cause of your tinnitus will remain a mystery. Only when a specific factor is linked to the appearance or disappearance of the tinnitus can a cause be stated with certainty.