Tinnitus information, facts and advice. Tinnitus is not itself a disease but a symptom resulting from a range of underlying causes, including ear infections, foreign objects or wax in the ear, and injury from loud noises and sounds. Tinnitus is also a side-effect of some oral medications, such as aspirin, and may also result from an abnormally low level of serotonin activity. Tinnitus can be in one or both ears or in the head. It is usually described as a ringing noise, but in some tinnitus patients it takes the form of a high pitched whining, buzzing, hissing, humming, or whistling sound.

Tinnitus is usually only heard by the person with the condition, but in a very few rare cases it can also be heard by other people. Temporary tinnitus is common if you have a cold, after exposure to loud noise such as at a music concert, or following a blow to the head. About 1 in 100 people experience serious problems with long-term, established tinnitus. See tinnitus sites listed below.