There are many things that can cause tinnitus. I have tinnitus. Most often it's a side effect from long term use of certain drugs. It's also the result of mild hearing impairment. Since it stems from the brain and not the ear, the part of the brain that processes sound has difficulty deciphering what it's actually hearing and so the sound is jumbled up. Almost like a radio station that doesn't get a clear signal, the brain doesn't know what to do with sounds it's picking up. It is very annoying and sometimes I'm able to tune it out if it isn't too loud. Hopefully with so many people experiencing it, they will figure out what can help alleviate it.