In many people with tinnitus, the underlying cause of the tinnitus remains unknown.

Common causes for tinnitus include:

• Anxiety
• Barotitis media
• Caffeine overdose
• Cerumen impaction
• Dental surgery
• Drug abuse
• Ear foreign body
• Ear surgery
• Exposure to loud noises
• Hearing loss
• High blood pressure
• Labyrinthitis
• Otitis externa
• Otitis media
• Presbycusis
• Serous otitis media:
• Fluid in the middle ear space
• Sinusitis
• Stress
• Upper respiratory tract infection

Less common causes for tinnitus include:

• Acoustic neuroma
• Anemia
• Atherosclerosis
• Basilar skull fracture
• Cerebral aneurysm
• Cholesteatoma
• Drug side effect
• Head injury
• Heart murmur
• High altitude sickness
• Leukemia
• Lyme disease
• Meniere's disease
• Otosclerosis
• Paget's disease
• Syphilis
• Typhoid