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Tinnitus: Guide to managing ringing in the ears

Symptoms Causes Management Take an Online Hearing Loss & Tinnitus Check
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What is tinnitus?

Tinnitus (pronounced tin-ni-tus) affects about 15-20% of people and is commonly associated with hearing loss or an ear injury1. It is described as the perception of sound without any external stimuli, and is often reported as a hissing, buzzing or ringing sound. It is a routine phenomenon, with many people experiencing tinnitus at some stage without any significant impact on their daily lives.

Tinnitus Symptoms

Symptoms of tinnitus can vary greatly from person to person. Often tinnitus is experienced as a ringing in the ears that only you can hear, but it can be any of the following sounds:

  • Hissing
  • Buzzing
  • Whistling
  • Roaring
  • Ringing

You may hear these sounds in one ear or both ears and they may be soft or loud, low or high pitched. Unmanaged, bothersome tinnitus may be distressing, accompanied by feelings of anger or isolation. Difficulty concentrating and issues with sleep are also commonly experienced as a result of tinnitus. Hearing aids and/or behavioural strategies may help in alleviating tinnitus symptoms. 

People with tinnitus can also experience hearing loss.

Signs and symptoms of hearing loss

tinnitus-symptoms-causes-and-treatment

Online Hearing Loss & Tinnitus Check

People with tinnitus often experience hearing loss too. Our quick online hearing and tinnitus check can help you understand if you might have tinnitus and / or hearing loss and what you can do about it.

Question 1
Do you ever experience buzzing sounds or ringing in your ear(s) when no external sound is present?
Do you ever have trouble falling asleep or concentrating due to any ringing or buzzing sounds in your ear(s)?
Do you ever have trouble following conversations because you don’t hear properly?
Do you find yourself turning up the volume on the TV or radio louder than normal?

Indications of tinnitus and hearing loss

Your answers indicate that you may experience symptoms of tinnitus and hearing loss. We recommend that you visit one of our clinics. There are hearing aids that can help with your hearing loss and might give you relief from your tinnitus2.


Book a FREE* hearing check in a clinic near you

²The results of this check simply provide guidance as to next steps and do not replace a hearing assessment conducted by one of our certified clinicians.

Indications of hearing loss

Your answers indicate that you may experience symptoms of hearing loss. We recommend that you visit one of our clinics. There are hearing aids that can help with your hearing loss and might give you relief from your tinnitus2.


Book a FREE* hearing check in a clinic near you

²The results of this check simply provide guidance as to next steps and do not replace a hearing assessment conducted by one of our certified clinicians.

Indications of tinnitus

Your answers indicate that you may experience symptoms of tinnitus. We recommend that you read about tinnitus treatment options to learn about how to cope with and find relief from tinnitus symptoms.*

²The results of this check simply provide guidance as to next steps and do not replace a hearing assessment conducted by one of our certified clinicians.

No tinnitus or hearing loss indicated

Your answers indicate that you do not have tinnitus - or that you have non-bothersome tinnitus that is not currently affecting your everyday life. However, the results of this check simply provide guidance as to next steps and do not replace a hearing assessment conducted by one of our certified clinicians.

Step 1 of 6

Tinnitus causes1

The ringing in your ears could be the result of your brain trying to compensate for the loss of hair cells2.

There are many possible causes of tinnitus, and sometimes no obvious cause as well. However, exposure to excessive noise increases your risk of developing tinnitus due to damage it causes to the tiny hair cells in the inner ear. Stress levels, ageing, middle ear infections or head injuries may also play a role. 

Common causes of ringing in the ears include:

  • Exposure to loud noise
  • Age-related changes3
  • Ear wax occlusion or middle-ear infections, such as Otitis Media
  • Negative reactions to medicines
  • Neck or head injuries
  • Other medical conditions such as Ménière's disease, growths on the hearing nerves and jaw problems.

Tinnitus management and prevention

While the presence of tinnitus cannot be removed entirely, its bothersome effects may be alleviated with hearing aids and / or behavioural strategies. The following management techniques could be effective in turning a potentially negative and emotionally charged sound (tinnitus) into a neutral presence.

Illustration of man doing yoga
Relaxation and mindfulness

Mindfulness, yoga and meditation4,5 can often be helpful in managing the effects of tinnitus

Illustration of man with headphones
Sound therapy

Sound therapy can help suppress the perception of tinnitus for some people with tinnitus6. 

Illustration of shield with an ear
Hearing protection gear

Protection (such as earplugs) can help prevent further hearing damage caused by loud noise

Illustration of hearing aid
Hearing aids

The bothersome effects of tinnitus may also be alleviated with hearing aids.

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 and their effects. 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 hold your attention away from your tinnitus. Plus, it helps you to focus on something more pleasant. Talk to your clinician about how you can access help with sound therapy options.  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
hearing-aids-for-tinnitus

Hearing aids for Tinnitus

Hearing aids not only help with hearing loss, but they may also simultaneously mask the sound of tinnitus by amplifying the sounds around you. This can result in reduced listening effort, a perceived reduction in tinnitus volume, and an improved ability to communicate with ease.

In addition, most of our hearing aids offer sound therapy sounds that are customised to your individual needs and preferences.
View a list of our hearing aids with tinnitus sound support features:

Hearing aid brands and models

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 aids7.

70-85% of people with tinnitus also have hearing loss8

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.

consequences-of-untreated-tinnitus

Consequences of untreated tinnitus

Some tinnitus sufferers become sensitive to places with many voices or loud music in the background, so they begin to avoid such social situations altogether. To others, it is so disturbing that a full night’s sleep can become difficult to achieve. Tinnitus, if left untreated, can lead to the following consequences9.

  • Anger
  • Concentration problems
  • Isolation
  • Depression
  • Sensitivity to places with constant talking or loud music
  • Sleep disorder, insomnia

Some people can ignore their tinnitus most of the time but leaving it untreated can have a negative impact on your life if it is experienced over extended periods of time.

Tinnitus FAQs

Nimi Daya Naran head shot
Nimi Daya Naran - Audiologist and Head of Medical Services & Graduate Development ANZ
 BA(Psych), M.Clin.Aud., MAudSA(CCP)

Nimi is an experienced Audiologist whose clinical career and dedication to the Audiology industry has afforded her many opportunities, where she has had the ability to specialise in paediatrics, adult rehabilitation, complex adult rehabilitation and tinnitus. Through these specialities she recognised her passion for clinical excellence and educating others. 

Today, she draws on that experience in her work as the Head of Medical Services and Graduate Development. Her current role allows her to raise hearing health awareness amongst general practitioners. As well as contribute to the development of clinicians in their early career, to ensure they have a strong clinical foundation as they begin their journey in the Audiology industry. She has also developed initiatives to improve clinical service delivery and client care. More recently she has established the Audika Specialist Referral Network, an initiative to ensure clients who could benefit from implantable technology are given access to these services. As well as ensuring these clients are supported throughout their implant journey.  

Page last reviewed:  October 2024

1Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) - treatments, causes, symptoms - healthdirect.gov.au
2Tinnitus and underlying brain mechanisms - PMC (nih.gov) 
3Characterization of tinnitus in different age groups: A retrospective review. Noise & health, 18(83), 214–219. - PMC (nih.gov)
4The Effect of Mindfulness-Based Interventions on Tinnitus Distress. A Systematic Review - PMC (nih.gov) 
5Effect of yoga and meditation on tinnitus: a systematic review | The Journal of Laryngology & Otology | Cambridge Core  
6The state of the art of sound therapy for subjective tinnitus in adults - PMC (nih.gov)
7Hearing aids as an adjunct to counseling: tinnitus patients who choose amplification do better than those that don't - PubMed (nih.gov)
8Support for tinnitus - Tinnitus Australia
9Tinnitus and Its Relation to Depression, Anxiety, and Stress—A Population-Based Cohort Study - PMC (nih.gov)

 

 

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