Ringing in the ears can be caused by disease, when damages to inner ear is done by virus (eg. Encephalitis) or bacteria (eg. Untreated Borreliosis) - it does not mean that tinnitus really begins. Simply, there are people who have sensitive ears and they are more at risk.
Acoustic neuroma - benign cancer, a tumor that grows in the close vicinity of the auditory nerve and by the pressure causes malfunction, often even tinnitus. After surgical removal of the tumor, tinnitus usually disappears - depends on the nerve damage that was caused by former pressure.
