Head noise or ringing in the ears (tinitus) is common. Tinnitus comes from the Latin tinnire, meaning “ringing”. Tinnitus is not a disease. It is a symptom that can be caused by a number of health problems. Tinnitus may be the result of age-related hearing loss or ear injury, or it may indicate a disease in your circulatory system. Most people find that their symptoms can improve over time by controlling tinnitus or treating the underlying causes. Although the sound created by tinnitus can be disturbing, it is rarely a warning of a serious problem.

Tinnitus Signs and Symptoms
Tinnitus brings on the annoying sensation of hearing sounds in your ear when there are no outside sounds.

Tinnitus Symptoms and signs include:

A ringing, buzzing, whistling or hissing sound in your ear: Hearing loss Noise can vary in tone, from low-pitched roaring to loud screaming. In some cases, the sound can be so loud that it affects your ability to concentrate or hear properly. A buildup of earwax can worsen tinnitus. Excessive debris in your ear canal can reduce your ability to hear external sounds and amplify internal sounds.

Causes of Tinnitus
Inside your inner ear, thousands of auditory cells carry an electrical charge. Microscopic hairs form a rim on the surface of each sensory cell. When these hairs are healthy, they move in accordance with the pressure of sound waves. Movement triggers these cells, causing them to discharge electricity through the auditory cell. Your brain interprets these signals as sound.

If the fine hairs inside your inner ear bend or break, they move randomly in a constant state of activity. Hearing cells that cannot retain their load leak random electrical impulses into your brain as noise.

Damage to hearing cells in your inner ear is most commonly caused by:

Age-related hearing loss (presbycusis). This process usually begins around age 60. Damage to your inner ear from trauma. This wear and tear on your hearing may occur due to excessive exposure to loud noises over a long period of time. Tractors, chainsaws and guns are common causes of noise-related hearing loss.