Tips And Tricks For Tinnitus Management From Santa Clarita Hearing Center In its most simplified definition, tinnitus is “ringing of the ears.” This chronic, disruptive, and often painful condition affects the lives of many, brought on by a number of different sources. Tinnitus can cause sleepless nights, trouble concentrating, and can be somewhat unpredictable. These reasons and more make it a very frustrating and occasionally debilitating condition. Tinnitus, as defined by the Santa Clarita Hearing Center, is not a disease. Rather, it is often a symptom of something else wrong in the ear, the auditory nerve, or the brain. Its cause can be as difficult to pinpoint as its cure.