What Treatments are Available for Tinnitus?

Tinnitus is the medical term for hearing sounds that aren’t coming from outside your body.

It’s often called “ringing in the ears,” but you can hear more than one sound, such as:

• buzzing
• humming
• grinding
• hissing
• whistling

Some people hear sounds that sound like music or singing, while others hear noises that beat with their heartbeat (pulsatile tinnitus). You may also find that your hearing isn’t as good as it used to be or that everyday sounds bother you more than they used to (hyperacusis).

Is Tinnitus Serious?

Tinnitus is rarely a sign of something serious going on inside the body. For some people, it might come and go without bothering them too much.

But for some people, it can have a big effect on their daily lives. It can be very upsetting, make it hard to focus, and lead to problems like insomnia and depression.

Many times, tinnitus gets better over time, either because it goes away or because the body gets used to it (habituation). But it’s important to talk to a doctor to find out if there’s a root cause that can be treated and to help you figure out how to deal with the problem.

When To Go To The Doctor

If you hear sounds like buzzing, ringing, or humming in your ears all the time or most of the time, you should see your doctor. They can look in your ears to see if the problem is caused by something easy to fix, like an ear infection or a buildup of earwax. They can also do a few easy tests to see if you are losing your hearing. If needed, your doctor of medicine (GP) can send you to a hospital specialist for more tests and care.

Why Does It Happen?

Tinnitus can come on quickly or gradually over time. It’s not clear why it happens, but it often happens with hearing loss of some kind.

Who Is Affected?

Most people have had short bouts of tinnitus after being around loud noises, like after a concert. Tinnitus can happen to people of all ages, even children, but it happens more often in people over 65.

How is it treated?

At the moment, there is no one way to treat tinnitus that works for everyone. But researchers are still trying to find a good treatment.

If the cause of your tinnitus can be found and treated, your tinnitus may get better. For example, getting rid of a buildup of earwax might help.

If a specific cause can’t be found, treatment will focus on helping you deal with the condition every day. This could mean:

• Hearing aids are incredibly beneficial when equipped with masking features. These devices provide a sound that overlaps the tinnitus noise, allowing you more peace.
• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a type of therapy that aims to help you change the way you think about your tinnitus so that it becomes less noticeable.
• tinnitus retraining therapy (TRT) is a type of therapy that tries to change the way your brain reacts to tinnitus so that you start to tune it out and pay less attention to it.