Tinnitus
Tinnitus is the term for hearing sounds that come from inside your body, rather than from an outside source.
It's often described as "ringing in the ears", although several sounds can be heard, including:
Some people may hear sounds similar to music or singing,and others hear noises that beat in time with their pulse (pulsatile tinnitus).
You may also notice that your hearing is not as good as it used to be or you're more sensitive to everyday sounds (hyperacusis) .
Tinnitus is rarely a sign of a serious underlying condition. For some people it may come and go and only be aminor irritation.
However,it can sometimes be continuous and have a significant impact on everyday life. Severe casescanbe very distressing,affect concentration, and cause problems such as difficulty sleeping (insomnia) and depression .
In many cases, tinnitus will get better gradually over time. But it's important to seek medical advice to see if an underlying cause can be found and treated, and to help you find ways to cope with the problem.
You should see your GP if you continually or regularly hear sounds such as buzzing, ringing or humming in your ears.
They can examine your ears to see if the problem might be caused by a conditionthey could easily treat, such as an earinfection or earwax build-up . They can also do some simple checks to see if you have any hearing loss .
If necessary, your GP can refer you to a hospital specialist for further tests and treatment.
It's not clear exactly why it happens, but it often occurs along withsome degree of hearing loss.
Tinnitus is often associated with:
However, around one in every three people with tinnitus doesn't have any obvious problem with their ears or hearing.
However, research to find an effective treatment is continuing.
If an underlying cause of your tinnitus can be found, effectively treating it may help improve your tinnitus for example, removing a build-up of earwax might help.
If a specificcause can't be found, treatment will focus on helping you manage the condition on a daily basis. This may involve:
You may also find self-help measures, such as relaxation techniques or sleep hygiene measures ,helpful.
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Tinnitus is the term for hearing sounds that come from inside your body, rather than from an outside source. It's often described as "ringing in the ears", although several sounds can be heard, including: buzzing, humming, etc.
Read about the main causes of tinnitus, including hearing loss and damage from exposure to loud noises.
Read about what your GP might do to diagnose tinnitus and what might happen if you're referred to a hospital specialist.
Read about the main treatments for tinnitus, including sound therapy, counselling and self-help tips.
Jan Dawson was diagnosed with Mnire's disease. She also hashearing loss and tinnitus.Jan talks about how time and being positive has helped her get used to the condition.
Paul Burrows has had tinnitus for as long as he can remember. He talks about what it's like living with it.