Why does tinnitus occur

It should only be carried out by someone specially trained in the technique. Some people find self-help techniques useful for managing their tinnitus. These techniques include:. Action on Hearing Loss provide further details about support and activities in your local area. Their free information line telephone number is You may also find the British Tinnitus Association a useful source of information. You can call their confidential helpline free of charge on Home Illnesses and conditions Ears, nose and throat Tinnitus.

Tinnitus See all parts of this guide Hide guide parts 1. About tinnitus 2. Causes of tinnitus 3. Diagnosing tinnitus 4. Treating tinnitus. About tinnitus Tinnitus is the term for hearing sounds that come from inside your body, rather than from an outside source. It's often described as "ringing in the ears", although several sounds can be heard, including: buzzing humming grinding hissing whistling Some people may hear sounds similar to music or singing, and others hear noises that beat in time with their pulse pulsatile tinnitus.

Is it serious? When to see your GP You should see your GP if you continually or regularly hear sounds such as buzzing, ringing or humming in your ears. If necessary, your GP can refer you to a hospital specialist for further tests and treatment. What causes tinnitus? Who is affected? Treating tinnitus There's currently no single treatment for tinnitus that works for everyone. This may involve: sound therapy — listening to neutral sounds to distract you from the sound of tinnitus counselling — therapy that aims to educate you about tinnitus and help you learn to cope with it more effectively cognitive behavioural therapy CBT — therapy that aims to help change the way you think about your tinnitus so it becomes less noticeable tinnitus retraining therapy TRT — therapy that aims to help retrain the way your brain responds to tinnitus so you start to tune the sound out and become less aware of it Read more about how tinnitus is treated.

Causes of tinnitus It's not clear exactly what causes tinnitus, but it's thought to be a problem with how the ear hears sounds and how the brain interprets them. Inner ear damage Sounds pass from the outer ear through to the inner ear, which contains the cochlea and auditory nerve.

Other causes As well as inner ear damage, there are several other possible causes of tinnitus. Diagnosing tinnitus You should see your GP if you have a problem with your hearing, such as hearing ringing or buzzing sounds. They will ask you some questions about your symptoms, such as: Does the sound come and go, or is it continuous? Does the problem affect one or both ears? Is it a constant tone or is it like a pulse? Is the problem having an impact on your everyday life?

Have you noticed any other symptoms, such as hearing loss or vertigo a spinning sensation? Seeing a specialist In some cases, your GP may refer you to a hearing specialist called an audiologist, who can carry out a range of hearing tests and talk to you about the treatments available.

Treating tinnitus There's not usually a quick fix for tinnitus, but it will often improve gradually over time. Correcting hearing loss Any degree of hearing loss you have should be addressed because straining to listen can make tinnitus worse.

Sound therapy Tinnitus is often most noticeable in quiet environments. Counselling Understanding tinnitus plays an important part in learning how to cope with the condition and manage it more effectively. Cognitive behavioural therapy CBT Cognitive behavioural therapy CBT is often used to treat mental health problems, such as anxiety and depression. Tinnitus retraining therapy TRT Tinnitus retraining therapy TRT is a special type of therapy that aims to help retrain the way your brain responds to tinnitus so you start to tune the sound out and become less aware of it.

Self-help Some people find self-help techniques useful for managing their tinnitus. These techniques include: relaxation — stress can make your tinnitus worse, so relaxation techniques such as deep breathing and yoga may help listening to music — calming music and sounds may help you relax and fall asleep at bedtime sleep hygiene — if tinnitus is affecting your sleep, sleep hygiene measures such as sticking to a regular sleep pattern and avoiding caffeine or alcohol shortly before going to bed may help hobbies and activities — having a hobby or regularly participating in any activity you find enjoyable may help distract you from tinnitus support groups — sharing your experiences with others who have tinnitus may help you cope better Action on Hearing Loss provide further details about support and activities in your local area.

Tweet Click here to share this page on Twitter This will open a new window. Print Click here to print this page This will open your print options in a new window. If the common causes for tinnitus are ruled out, the practitioner will refer you to another specialist for further evaluation and treatment. Otosclerosis and Meniere's disease can cause tinnitus. If your hearing care practitioner suspects you have a condition originating in the ear, they may refer you to an otolaryngologist , or ear, nose and throat ENT physician.

A head injury, such as whiplash or concussion, can cause damage to the delicate inner ear structure, which may lead to tinnitus. Also, neurologic diseases like multiple sclerosis can result in tinnitus, and acoustic tumors on the auditory or vestibular nerve can create tinnitus by pressing on the neural connections. In this case, a neurologist would be the primary physician to help you. If your tinnitus resembles a pumping, beating or pulsating sound, it could be caused by damage to your blood vessels.

This is known as pulsatile tinnitus. Some common underlying cardiac causes of tinnitus include high blood pressure, turbulent blood flow, heart disease , and malformations of the small arteries.

Seek prompt medical care if you hear pulsing sounds. The most common drugs known to cause tinnitus are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like aspirin , diuretics, certain antibiotics and cancer drugs, and the malaria drug quinine. But many others can cause tinnitus, too. If you experience tinnitus after starting any new medication, or changing a dosage, discuss it right away with your pharmacist or physician to determine if you should stop, reduce, or change the medications you are currently taking.

Did you know? One of the most common drugs known to cause tinnitus is aspirin, especially when taken in high doses. Aging, loud noise exposure, and certain habits are all strongly linked to tinnitus.

However, you can still develop tinnitus even if you have none of these risk factors. Hearing loss due to aging is called presbycusis, and it often starts around the age of This gradual loss of hearing as the inner ear deteriorates can cause tinnitus as well.

The worse the hearing loss, the more likely you are to have tinnitus, too: "Those with a hearing impairment have a higher risk for tinnitus, and the associated increase in risk is dependent on the severity of hearing impairment," state the authors of a large survey of U. Being exposed to loud noise on a regular basis from heavy equipment, chain saws, or firearms are common causes of hearing loss and tinnitus.

This is a big problem among both active military members and veterans, who experience tinnitus more often than the general public. Noise-induced hearing loss and tinnitus also can be caused by listening to loud music through headphones or attending loud concerts frequently.

It is possible to experience short-term tinnitus after seeing a concert, but long-term exposure will cause permanent damage. Researchers are not entirely certain why, but drinking alcohol excessively, smoking cigarettes, eating certain foods and consuming caffeinated beverages can play a role in tinnitus.

Frequently being fatigued or stressed can also be a factor. In short, if you're not taking good care of your overall health, you are more susceptible to tinnitus. If you are experiencing tinnitus symptoms such as ringing in your ears , visit our directory of hearing health care professionals to find a clinic that tests for tinnitus near you.

Please note that not all hearing clinics treat tinnitus, so you may need to browse several clinic pages to find the right provider. Joy Victory has extensive experience editing consumer health information. Breadcrumb Home Health Information.

On this page: What is tinnitus? What causes tinnitus? Why do I have this noise in my ears? What should I do if I have tinnitus? What if the sounds in my ear do not go away? Are there treatments that can help me? Can I do anything to prevent tinnitus or keep it from getting worse? What are researchers doing to better understand tinnitus?

Where can I find additional information about tinnitus? What is tinnitus? Hearing aids often are helpful for people who have hearing loss along with tinnitus. Using a hearing aid adjusted to carefully control outside sound levels may make it easier for you to hear.

The better you hear, the less you may notice your tinnitus. Counseling helps you learn how to live with your tinnitus. Most counseling programs have an educational component to help you understand what goes on in the brain to cause tinnitus. Some counseling programs also will help you change the way you think about and react to your tinnitus.

You might learn some things to do on your own to make the noise less noticeable, to help you relax during the day, or to fall asleep at night. Wearable sound generators are small electronic devices that fit in the ear and use a soft, pleasant sound to help mask the tinnitus. Some people want the masking sound to totally cover up their tinnitus, but most prefer a masking level that is just a bit louder than their tinnitus.

Tabletop sound generators are used as an aid for relaxation or sleep. Placed near your bed, you can program a generator to play pleasant sounds such as waves, waterfalls, rain, or the sounds of a summer night.

If your tinnitus is mild, this might be all you need to help you fall asleep. It uses a palm-sized device and headphones to deliver a broadband acoustic signal embedded in music. The treatment helps stimulate change in the neural circuits in the brain, which eventually desensitizes you to the tinnitus.

The device has been shown to be effective in reducing or eliminating tinnitus in a significant number of study volunteers. Cochlear implants are sometimes used in people who have tinnitus along with severe hearing loss. A cochlear implant bypasses the damaged portion of the inner ear and sends electrical signals that directly stimulate the auditory nerve. The device brings in outside sounds that help mask tinnitus and stimulate change in the neural circuits.

Antidepressants and antianxiety drugs might be prescribed by your doctor to improve your mood and help you sleep. Other medications may be available at drugstores and on the Internet as an alternative remedy for tinnitus, but none of these preparations has been proved effective in clinical trials.