Tinnitus is often described as hearing a ringing sound with no external source, meaning that those around you cannot hear it. However, it does not necessarily have to be ringing: you may hear buzzing, roaring, and other sounds if you have tinnitus. Tinnitus is common and has a few common causes, such as hearing loss. Those with hearing loss can be assisted by hearing aids—it can be beneficial to look into the best over the counter hearing aids.

Although tinnitus is common, drugs to treat Tinnitus are available. While there is nothing available to reverse or cure tinnitus, some drugs can be taken to provide relief from distress that may result from severe tinnitus. Anti-anxiety drugs like antidepressants—more specifically, Elavil—or Valium taken in small doses can help to reduce tinnitus. Other than drugs, tinnitus retraining therapy (TRT), cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), or seeing a cochlear hearing implant doctor might be effective for helping to treat tinnitus. Read more to learn some of the common causes of tinnitus:

1. Medications

Various medications can come with tinnitus as a side effect. This is especially true if the doses of said medications are high. Some antibiotics, anti-malaria medications, antidepressants, and anticancer drugs can cause tinnitus. Additionally, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs—including naproxen, aspirin, and ibuprofen—are associated with causing tinnitus as a side effect.

2. Injuries to head or neck

Our ears can be very sensitive for a number of reasons, which is exactly why suffering from an injury to the head or neck can damage the ear’s structures. Moreover, an injury dealt to the head or neck—depending on the severity—can damage the nerve that is responsible for carrying sound signals to the brain. The brain, too, can sustain damage, if the injury in question harms the areas of the brain that are responsible for processing sound. Any of these aforementioned damages can cause tinnitus.

3. Noise exposure

If you’ve been to a concert, sporting event, or other likewise settings, you may have experienced tinnitus thereafter. This is because exposure to noise can result in tinnitus. It makes sense, then, that tinnitus is a service-related disability that is the most common among veterans due to the bomb blasts, machinery noises, and gunfire that they may have experienced.

4. Hearing loss

As we age, lots of us begin to lose our hearing. This loss is associated strongly with tinnitus. Likewise, hearing loss that results from noise exposure can also cause tinnitus. However, it should be mentioned that while a person may have hearing loss, they might never end up developing tinnitus. Really, it depends on the person—ultimately, though, tinnitus is heavily tied to hearing loss.