Tinnitus - Guide to treatment for ringing in the ears

What causes tinnitus?

There are many possible causes of tinnitus. The most common cause is exposure to excessive noise, which damages the tiny hair cells in the inner ear. The ringing in your ears is the result of your brain trying to compensate for the loss of hair cells.

Common causes of ringing in the ears include:

1. Exposure to loud noise
2. The natural ageing process
3. Middle-ear infections
4. Emotional distress
5. Diabetes
6. Negative reactions to medicines
7. Neck or head injuries
8. Hyperacusis (intolerance to noise)
9. Other untreated medical conditions such as Ménière's disease, Otitis media (a middle-ear infection), etc.

 Is a hearing test relevant for you?

Experiencing symptoms of tinnitus?

Tinnitus (pronounced tin-ni-tus) affects about 15-20% of people and is commonly caused by hearing loss or an ear injury. Tinnitus is often experienced as a ringing in the ears that only you can hear, but it could also be any of the following sounds:

• Hissing
• Buzzing
• Whistling
• Roaring
• Ringing

People with tinnitus can also experience hearing loss.

Signs and symptoms of hearing loss

Types of tinnitus

There are three types of tinnitus:

1. Subjective — the most common type of tinnitus, this is where only you can hear it.
2. Objective — when a doctor can hear the sounds when they examine your ears, this could be caused by a problem with the blood vessels, bones or muscles in your ear.
3. Pulsatile — the rarest form of tinnitus, in which people may hear noises in time with their heartbeat. 

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. 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 move your attention away from your tinnitus. Plus, it helps you to focus on something more pleasant. You can find the sound therapy that gives you the most effective relief from ringing in the ears by working together with your hearing care expert.

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 aids.

80% of people with tinnitus also have hearing loss

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.