Tinnitus: Characteristics, Causes, Mechanisms, and Treatments Clin Neurol March; 5(1): 11–19. Published online 2009 March 31. doi: /jcn PMCID: PMC Copyright © 2009 Korean Neurological Association Copyright Byung In Han, MD, a Ho Won Lee, MD, b Tae You Kim, MD, c Jun Seong Lim, MD, d and Kyoung Sik Shin, MD e

Otologic causes – noise-induced hearing loss – Presbycusis – Otosclerosis – Otitis – impacted cerumen – sudden deafness – Meniere's disease

Neurologic causes include – head injury – whiplash – multiple sclerosis – vestibular schwannoma (commonly called an acoustic neuroma) – cerebellopontine-angle tumors.

Infectious causes include – otitis media – sequelae of Lyme disease – meningitis – syphilis

Tinnitus is also a side effect of some oral medications – Salicylates – nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs – aminoglycoside antibiotics – loop diuretics – chemotherapy agents (e.g., platins and vincristine).

Temporomandibular-joint dysfunction – Clicking types of objective tinnitus can be caused by jaw joint misalignment (TMJ) problems or muscles of the ear or throat "twitching."TMJ dental disorders

– Pulsatile tinnitus is usually related to blood flow, either through normal or abnormal blood vessels near the ear. – pregnancy, anemia (lack of blood cells), overactive thyroid, or tumors involving blood vessels near the ear. pregnancyanemiaoveractive thyroid – benign intracranial hypertension-an increase in the pressure of the fluid surrounding the brain.