Tinnitus

Tinnitus is the name for hearing sounds that do not come from an outside source. People describe it differently, including ringing, buzzing, whooshing, hissing, humming or throbbing, and it may be heard in one or both ears or seem to come from inside the head. It can be constant or come and go.

Tinnitus is very common and is often more noticeable in quiet surroundings, such as at night. For many people it is mild and easy to live with, while for others it can be intrusive and affect sleep, concentration or mood. It is usually a symptom of something else rather than a condition in itself.

Tinnitus is often linked to some degree of hearing loss, including age-related and noise-induced hearing loss, and it can follow exposure to loud sounds. Earwax build-up and ear infections are common, usually reversible triggers. It can also be associated with conditions such as Meniere's disease and with some medicines.

In many cases no single clear cause is found. Stress, tiredness and anxiety do not cause tinnitus on their own but can make existing tinnitus feel more noticeable and harder to cope with.

It is worth seeking medical advice if tinnitus is constant, is getting worse, occurs only on one side, or is affecting your sleep, concentration or wellbeing. A clinician can check for treatable causes such as earwax and assess your hearing.

Seek prompt or urgent care for tinnitus that pulses in time with your heartbeat (pulsatile tinnitus), tinnitus that comes on after a head injury, or tinnitus alongside sudden hearing loss, dizziness or weakness of the face. These patterns can point to a cause that benefits from quicker assessment.

A clinician will usually ask about the sound, how long you have had it, whether it affects one or both ears, and how it is affecting your daily life. They will examine your ears to look for earwax, infection or other findings.

A hearing test is often arranged, as tinnitus and hearing loss frequently occur together. Depending on the features, such as pulsatile or one-sided tinnitus, further tests or scans may be recommended to look for an underlying cause.

Where a specific cause is found, such as earwax or an infection, treating it may ease or resolve the tinnitus. When hearing loss is present, hearing aids can make external sounds clearer and often make tinnitus less noticeable.

When there is no curable cause, the aim is to reduce the impact of tinnitus rather than remove the sound entirely. Helpful approaches include sound therapy, which uses background or soothing sounds to make tinnitus less prominent, and psychological techniques such as cognitive behavioural therapy and tinnitus counselling that help change how the brain responds to it. Good sleep habits and relaxation strategies can also make a difference.

Because tinnitus is closely linked to noise exposure and hearing loss, protecting your hearing is the most useful preventive step: limit time around loud sounds, keep listening volumes down, and use ear protection in noisy environments. Managing earwax sensibly and treating ear infections promptly may also help.

The outlook is often reassuring. For many people tinnitus settles or becomes easier to ignore over time, and the brain frequently learns to filter it out, a process supported by sound therapy and counselling. Even when tinnitus persists, most people are able to manage it well with the right combination of strategies and support.