Ringing in the ears
Tinnitus is a very aggravating condition of the ears – here’s what to do about it and some strategies to cope
Tinnitus means hearing sounds in one or both ears that aren’t coming from outside. Normal incoming sound passes through the eardrum and middle ear to the inner ear, which sends signals along the auditory nerve to the brain. Anything affecting this pathway can trigger ‘fake’ sounds.
Tinnitus affects 10% of us in later life, but a third of us have experienced temporary tinnitus. There’s rarely a serious cause, but help is available if it’s intrusive or distressing.
The causes
Most tinnitus is subjective – only you can hear it – and often due to age-related changes or noise damage from loud music (speakers or personal headphones), sudden bangs or loud machinery at work or home.
Duration matters, too (see tinnitus.org.uk/how-loudis-loud). Wear ear protection at work if sound levels exceed 85 decibels; keep your headphones below 60% volume, and stop listening after 60 minutes.
Tinnitus can also be caused by ear disorders including wax build-up, perforations and infections. Meniere’s disease affects the inner ear, producing bouts of ‘pressure’, hearing loss and dizziness.
Tinnitus may also be due to neurological conditions, jaw-joint arthritis and medicines including aspirin and some antibiotics.
Objective tinnitus (where someone examining you can hear it, too) is rarer and can be triggered by problems in nearby arteries or other tissues. Stress may make tinnitus harder to tolerate.
symptoms and tests
Tinnitus literally means ‘ringing’, but you may also notice continuous or intermittent buzzing, whistling, whooshing, humming or hissing, and
feel extra-sensitive to sounds.
You may also have reduced hearing, ear pain or discharge, nausea or vertigo.
See your doctor urgently if you’ve had a head injury or have pulsatile tinnitus (where the sound you’re hearing is in time with your heartbeat), new neurological symptoms (such as numbness, weakness, vertigo or swallowing difficulties) or sudden/one-sided hearing loss. You may need a scan or referral to a tinnitus clinic as well as a hearing test. But there’s no specific treatment (except for dealing with underlying causes, plus hearing aids, if necessary).