Patient education: Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) (The Basics)

What is tinnitus? — 

Tinnitus is the term doctors use for when a person hears ringing, buzzing, hissing, or roaring in 1 or both ears. Many people have this problem. In some people, it can last for months or years. Tinnitus can be annoying. But it is not usually a sign of a serious problem.

What causes tinnitus? — 

Tinnitus is often caused by damage to cells in a part of the inner ear (figure 1). When these cells are damaged, they send signals to the brain that make you think you are hearing things that are not really there.

The damage that leads to tinnitus can be caused by:

●Normal aging and hearing loss

●Loud noise

●Medicines, including some antibiotics, anti-seizure medicines, and painkillers

●Head or neck injuries

●Certain diseases

What are the symptoms of tinnitus? — 

Most people with tinnitus hear a high-pitched, steady ringing. But for some people, it might sound like:

●Pulsing

●Rushing

●Humming

●Buzzing

●Roaring

These sounds sometimes get louder or softer during movement or exercise.

Should I see a doctor or nurse? — 

Yes. If you hear ringing or other sounds that the people around you do not hear, see your doctor or nurse. They can do tests to make sure that there is nothing seriously wrong with your ears.

Is there a treatment for tinnitus? — 

There is no cure for tinnitus. But there are treatments that can make it easier to live with. These include:

●Hearing aids – People with tinnitus caused by hearing loss often find that their symptoms are better if they get a hearing aid. Hearing aids make outside sounds clearer and louder, which helps make tinnitus less noticeable.

●Tinnitus retraining therapy – This involves working with a tinnitus expert to "retrain" your brain. You learn to think of the ringing in your ears as normal background sounds. Over time, the sounds bother you less.

●Biofeedback – This involves learning to breathe deeply, relax, and change your reaction to your tinnitus. Doing this helps you to be less bothered by the sounds.

●Cognitive behavioral therapy – This involves talking with a psychologist or counselor. You learn ways to distract yourself and cope with tinnitus.

●Masking – This means covering up tinnitus by listening to music or other soft sounds. You can even get a special masking device for tinnitus. This looks like a hearing aid and makes "white noise."

●Procedure to treat blood vessels near the ear – This is only done for rare cases where tinnitus is caused by a more serious problem with the blood vessels near the ear.

What will my life be like? — 

If you have had tinnitus for a long time, it probably will not go away. But it might bother you less over time.

Try to stay positive about your condition. If you are having a hard time coping, or if you feel anxious or depressed, talk to your doctor or nurse. They can help.

If your tinnitus makes it hard to sleep, talk to your doctor or nurse about that, too. Not getting enough sleep can make tinnitus even harder to cope with. But there might be treatments or other things that can help.

More on this topic

Patient education: Hearing loss in adults (The Basics)

Patient education: Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) (Beyond the Basics)