Tinnitus

Tinnitus

Tinnitus is the name for hearing sounds that come from inside your body rather than an outside source.

It’s not usually a sign of anything serious and may get better by itself.

Symptoms of tinnitus

Tinnitus is often called ‘ringing in the ears’ but it’s not just ringing. You might hear:

• buzzing
• humming
• grinding
• hissing
• whistling
• music or singing
• noises that beat in time with your pulse

You may also notice hearing loss or that you’re more sensitive to everyday sounds.

For some people, tinnitus may come and go. But sometimes it can impact your daily life and be very distressing. It can affect concentration and cause difficulty sleeping (insomnia) and depression.

Tinnitus will sometimes get better over time, either by disappearing or by the body getting used to it.

When to get medical advice

Speak to your GP practice if:

• you continually or regularly hear sounds such as buzzing, ringing or humming in your ears
• your tinnitus is getting worse
• your tinnitus is bothering you – for example, it’s affecting your sleep or concentration, or is making you feel anxious and depressed
• you have tinnitus that beats in time with your pulse

Diagnosing tinnitus

Your doctor can examine your ears to see if the problem might be caused by a condition they could easily treat, such as an ear infection or earwax build-up. They can also check if you have any hearing loss.

If needed, your GP can refer you to a specialist for further tests and treatment.

What causes tinnitus?

Tinnitus can develop slowly over time or happen suddenly.

It’s not known exactly why it happens but it’s often linked to:

• hearing loss
• inner ear damage caused by repeated exposure to loud noises or some medicines
• an earwax build-up
• a middle ear infection
• Ménière’s disease – a condition that also causes hearing loss and vertigo (a spinning sensation)
• otosclerosis – an inherited condition where an abnormal bone growth in the middle ear causes hearing loss

Who is affected?

Most people have tinnitus for a short time after being exposed to loud noises, such as after a music concert.

Around 1 in 10 people have persistent tinnitus. Around 1 in 100 having severe tinnitus that affects their daily life.

Tinnitus can affect people of all ages, including children. It’s more common in people aged over 65.

How is tinnitus treated

There’s currently no treatment for tinnitus that works for everyone.

If your tinnitus is caused by an underlying condition, then treating that condition may help your tinnitus.

If a cause can’t be found, treatment will focus on helping you manage the condition on a daily basis. This may involve:

• sound therapy – listening to neutral sounds to distract you from the sound of tinnitus
• counselling – to teach you about tinnitus and help you learn to cope with it better
• cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) – to help change the way you think about your tinnitus so it becomes less noticeable
• tinnitus retraining therapy (TRT) – to help you start to tune tinnitus out and become less aware of it

Things you can do to help your symptoms

Do

• try to relax – deep breathing or yoga may help
• try to find ways to improve your sleep, such as sticking to a bedtime routine or cutting down on caffeine
• try to avoid things that can make tinnitus worse, such as stress or loud background noises
• join a support group – talking to other people with tinnitus may help you cope

Don’t

• do not have total silence – listening to soft music or sounds (sound therapy) may distract you from the tinnitus
• do not focus on it, as this can make it worse – hobbies and activities may take your mind off it