Tinnitus causes (mnemonic)

Last revised by Kyriacos Evangelou on 9 Aug 2021

A mnemonic to remember the commonest causes of tinnitus is:

  • HAMMER

​Mnemonic

  • H: hypertension
  • A: anemia / acoustic neuroma
  • M: migraine / Menière's disease
  • M: medication (quinine, NSAIDs, streptomycin) 
  • E: ear pathology (wax, foreign body, otitis media) 
  • R: rare (temporomandibular joint disorder, otosclerosis)