Tinnitus: Guide to managing ringing in the ears

What is tinnitus?

Tinnitus (pronounced tin-ni-tus) affects about 15-20% of people and is commonly associated with hearing loss or an ear injury¹. It is described as the perception of sound without any external stimuli, and is often reported as a hissing, buzzing or ringing sound. It is a routine phenomenon, with many people experiencing tinnitus at some stage without any significant impact on their daily lives.

Tinnitus Symptoms

Symptoms of tinnitus can vary greatly from person to person. Often tinnitus is experienced as a ringing in the ears that only you can hear, but it can be any of the following sounds:

• Hissing
• Buzzing
• Whistling
• Roaring
• Ringing

You may hear these sounds in one ear or both ears and they may be soft or loud, low or high pitched. Unmanaged, bothersome tinnitus may be distressing, accompanied by feelings of anger or isolation. Difficulty concentrating and issues with sleep are also commonly experienced as a result of tinnitus. Hearing aids and/or behavioural strategies may help in alleviating tinnitus symptoms. 

People with tinnitus can also experience hearing loss.

Signs and symptoms of hearing loss

Tinnitus causes¹

The ringing in your ears could be the result of your brain trying to compensate for the loss of hair cells².

There are many possible causes of tinnitus, and sometimes no obvious cause as well. However, exposure to excessive noise increases your risk of developing tinnitus due to damage it causes to the tiny hair cells in the inner ear. Stress levels, ageing, middle ear infections or head injuries may also play a role. 

Common causes of ringing in the ears include:

• Exposure to loud noise
• Age-related changes³
• Ear wax occlusion or middle-ear infections, such as Otitis Media
• Negative reactions to medicines
• Neck or head injuries
• Other medical conditions such as Ménière's disease, growths on the hearing nerves and jaw problems.

Sound therapy can provide relief from ringing in the ears.

Although sound therapy cannot eliminate tinnitus, it can be a helpful tool for managing the symptoms and their effects. With sound therapy, you listen to different, carefully selected sounds, which can help you feel that your tinnitus is reduced or temporarily gone.

It then becomes easier to hold your attention away from your tinnitus. Plus, it helps you to focus on something more pleasant. Talk to your clinician about how you can access help with sound therapy options.  Sound therapy can be provided through:

• Tinnitus masking sound generator devices
• Apps for tinnitus relief
• Sound and sleep apps
• Hearing aids with tinnitus sound therapy features

Tinnitus and hearing loss – do you have both?

Research shows that most people with tinnitus have some degree of hearing loss without being aware of it, and many of them can benefit from hearing aids⁷.

70-85% of people with tinnitus also have hearing loss⁸

Hearing aids can help transmit more sounds into the ear and brain, thereby making the symptoms of tinnitus less bothersome. Moreover, improved hearing helps you to focus on sounds other than tinnitus, and for many people, this improvement is enough to experience relief.