Most people at some point in their lives have had a funny noise or ringing in the ears. In most instances the ringing goes as quickly as it came, maybe lasting only a minute or so. But this isn't true for everybody as for some unlucky people, the ringing came - and never went away. These people have the condition known as tinnitus.

The thing individuals may well not understand is that ringing in the ears can be a sign of many various health problems.

Top of that list will see ringing in the ears or tinnitus as a symptom of allergies or sinus problems. The thing is, it may well not be the allergies on the sinus problem that is causing the ringing in the ears. Quite often it's the medications used - such as as antibiotics or antihistamines to treat allergies and sinus conditions that caused the problem.

The reason for this is simple in that medicines like antihistamines and antibiotics can often cause a thickening of the mucus in the ear making it difficult for the fluid to drain away leading to inner ear infections, pressure buildup and consequently ringing in the ears. Presbycusis, an age-related hearing loss is another condition that can produce ringing in the ears as can muscle tension, temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ), vitamins B12 deficiency and thyroid disorder.

Little known cause of ringing in the ear is anxiety. This is because people who suffer anxiety or have panic attacks can experience a whole multitude of symptoms. However don't be overly concerned as it doesn't mean you have an anxiety panic disorder just because you got ringing in your ears.

Another thing that can cause ringing in the ears is high blood pressure which can apparently also mean you have high cholesterol. A number of medical investigators feel that this is because the cholesterol has stuck to the blood vessels by the ear and as blood flows pass them it makes a swishing noise passing over the uneven surface.

So if you're hearing a swishing noises rather than ringing noises perhaps it may be good to get your cholesterol levels checked.

Even so, the different types of tinnitus still remain the most common cause of ringing in the ears.

Atherosclerosis remains the rarest form of tinnitus. Unusually and unlike most other forms of tinnitus with arteriosclerosis the noise can be heard by somebody else as well. The reason for this is simple in that there is a physical problem with the structure of the ear itself. Meaning that a doctor or anybody else can hear the noise by using the stethoscope or other suitable equipment.

Most typically the noise generated with atherosclerosis is more like a pulsing or rushing sound caused by the passage of blood as it pulses through and around the ear.

The most common types of tinnitus will cause a noise that only the individual sufferer can hear. Noises can range from a ringing sound through to a buzzing, a whining, a popping and for some people - something like the sound of radio static.

Also, some people will be affected in just one ear whereas others will be affected in both ears.

However the biggest problem with tinnitus remains that cures seem very elusive. Due to the difficulty of finding effective drug based treatment many people have chosen to look at finding more natural cures being agreeably surprised by the effectiveness of things like homoeopathy, acupuncture and even hypnosis.

Even for the many sufferers who have been told "nothing can be done -- just get on with it" the cure may still exist and they should not be put off by this pessimistic advice.

The reality is that thousands and thousands of people would not accept there was no hope and went on to find effective treatment for themselves. So perhaps the real truth is "something can be done you just have to keep looking"