What’s this ringing in my ear(s)?
For the past few months you’ve had ringing and hissing noises in both of your ears, you’re a rock music fan and you have listened to loud music both on your earphones and at live concerts for years.
You’re in your 60s and have recently noticed roaring and clicking sounds in your ears, you have attacks of dizziness and you’ve noticed that your hearing is getting worse.
You’ve noticed roaring, hissing and clicking sounds in one ear and your hearing is deteriorating, occasionally you get dizzy turns.
Tinnitus, the sound of ringing in your ears caused by long-term exposure to loud sound. It can cause permanent damage.
Meniere’s disease,a disorder of the inner ear that may be caused by changes in fluid pressure within your inner ear.
Acoustic neuroma,a benign tumour developing on the nerve that runs from your brain to your inner ear and controls balance and hearing.
See your doctor for referral to a specialist for hearing (audiology) tests and possibly scans. Hearing can’t always be restored but there are treatments to reduce the tinnitus. Stop listening to loud music.
Have any ear wax removed and speak to your doctor about having a special hearing aid that can help with tinnitus. You can also have tinnitus “retraining” where a device can deliver tonal music to your ear that masks the buzzing sounds.
See your doctor for referral to an ENT specialist for tests to confirm the diagnosis and assessment for treatment. These benign tumours are quite often left alone unless they grow.