Unilateral tinnitus is one form of tinnitus and it is the most common and also usually has more severe side effects. To recap tinnitus can be a variety of sounds such as ringing, banging, swooshing and thumping that are constantly in either one or both ears. Unilateral tinnitus refers to these noises being present in one ear opposed to bilateral tinnitus that is in both ears. Usually if the ear ringing is in both ears it is not that serious and have minor symptoms however if the ringing is in one ear then this poses potential problems when it comes to diseases and the intensity of the tinnitus.

Some common unilateral causes
A build up of ear wax is the most common cause of unilateral tinnitus occurring because it can impact on the ear drum and cause external noises to be subdued therefore increasing your awareness of your internal noises.

Inner ear infections are more serious than ear wax build up but pose the same problem because they put pressure on the ear drum and increase awareness of internal noises. The other effect can be increased blood flow near the ear drum that can be heard, which can lead to pulsatile tinnitus. Be careful of certain medications used to cure ear infections because sometimes they can make the ringing worse, be sure to consult a professional first.

twisted arteries localized on one side of the head or neck and hypertension are also quite common because the irregular blood flow is specific to an area near one ear. This mixed with high cholesterol and an unhealthy diet can lead to very serious cases of unilateral tinnitus.