Tinnitus

What is tinnitus?

Tinnitus is the perception of sound when there is no sound present. It can affect one or both ears and can occur on its own or associated with other ear conditions most notably hearing loss. A person may hear different types of sounds. It can be continuous or it may come and go. Some people may think the noise is coming from outside and even look for it in their own environment and others say that the sounds have a musical quality and can seem like a familiar tune or song. This can occur in older people who have hearing loss and a strong musical interest.

The noise is sometimes described as:

• Ringing
• Buzzing
• Whistling
• Humming
• Whoosing
• Music

Tinnitus is most noticeable during quiet times or when you are tired. Temporary tinnitus can be caused by a blow to the head, a cold or exposure to very loud noise such as a concert.

What causes tinnitus?

It’s not always clear what causes tinnitus, but it’s often linked with some form of hearing loss which can be triggered by the effects of an external sound. When we hear, sound travels into the ear and then the hearing nerves take the signals to the brain. The brain is then responsible for putting it all together and making sense of the sound. Because the ears don’t know what’s important and what’s not, they send a lot of information to the brain. This is too much information for us to process, so the brain filters out a lot of unnecessary ‘activity’ and background sound, such as clocks ticking or traffic noise. Tinnitus is can be linked with conditions such as diabetes, thyroid disorders or multiple sclerosis, anxiety or depression.

Sometimes tinnitus is caused by a buildup of wax in your ear. Your GP may prescribe ear drops or irrigation. 

Treatment for tinnitus

If your tinnitus continues to bother you following diagnosis and conservative treatment you may benefit from treatment by one of our Consultant ENT specialists.

Your consultant will perform a thorough examination to confirm the diagnosis and determine if your tinnitus is related to another medical condition. Treatments for tinnitus may include:

• Correcting any hearing loss
• Sound therapy
• Tinnitus counselling
• Relaxation training
• Medication to treat underlying medical conditions