The regular use of a cell phone could potentially raise the risk of tinnitus, which is a constant ringing or buzzing in the ear, a new study suggests.

Austrian scientists studied 100 people with the condition, and another 100 without. They then compared their cell phone use.

They found that tinnitus was more than 70% more likely in those averaging 10 minutes a day in phone use, reported the Occupational and Environmental Medicine Journal.

The British Tinnitus Association says the like is still unproven.

Intense noise, head trauma and certain drugs are known to raise the risk of inner ear problems, a lot of cases leave the reasons unknown.

Researchers from the Medical University of Vienna said that the evidence linking cell phones with tinnitus was anecdotal, but the small study hinted, at the very least, that it warranted more looking into.

Because of the widespread device use, even a slightly increased risk would be important to public health, they wrote, particularly given the condition can, in some cases, profoundly interfere with day to day activities.

About 10% of the population is thought to have some kind of tinnitus, but it is unclear if the prevalence of the condition is rising with cell phones popularity.

Additionally, the risk from using a phone goes up 70%. They found that using a phone for more than 160 cumulatively was in line with a 60% increase.

Their study did show some statistical anomalies, showing a lower risk among those who had made 4,000 calls or more than those who made less.

The team agreed that asking people to recall their used was problematic, allowing for over and underestimations.

Lead researcher, Dr Hans Peter Hutter, said there were biological mechanisms that cell phones could cause ear problems.

The cochlea is the spiral-shaped organ that takes sounds and converts them into electrical impulses the brain can understand. The auditory pathways "are located in an anatomical region where a considerable amount of the power emitted by mobile phones are absorbed".

Prolonged, constrained posture could also potentially affect blood flow while walking and talking .

These reasons are more plausibly the sound of speech on the other end of the line.

A consultant and adviser to the British Tinnitus Association, Veronica Kennedy, said, The association between tinnitus and electromagnetic fields is not a new idea with electromagnetic fields being put forward both as a cause and treatment for tinnitus.

"Some people have attributed their tinnitus to the sounds generated by electromagnetic fields within modern electrical wiring or power plants. Electromagnetic therapy has also been used to treat tinnitus. This is an interesting study but there are a number of complex factors underlying tinnitus which have not been addressed in the study.

"The link between mobile phone use remains unproven with further work still needed."