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The word tinnitus comes from Latin and means "to tinkle or to ring like a bell." Its most common cause is exposure to noise. Age, medications, certain disorders, and blows to the head also can cause the condition.
Many famous people have reported tinnitus symptoms. Eighteenth century political philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau wrote in 1780 that "...a great noise started up in my ears, a noise that was triple or rather quadruple, compounded of a low and muffled humming, a softer murmuring as though of running water, a piercing whistle." Ludwig Van Beethoven complained of "rushing and roaring" sounds, while Charles Darwin kept records of its daily frequency. Today, musicians from U2's The Edge to Barbara Streisand also deal with tinnitus.
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