Many people have ringing (or roaring, hissing, buzzing, or tinkling) in their ears now and then. The sound usually lasts only a few minutes. Ringing in the ears that doesn't get better or go away is called tinnitus. You may hear a sound, such as a ringing or roaring, that doesn't come from your surroundings. (So nobody else can hear it.) The sound may keep time with your heartbeat, or it may keep pace with your breathing. It may be constant, or it may come and go. Tinnitus is most common in people older than age 40. Men have it more often than women do.
There are two main types of tinnitus.
The most common cause of tinnitus is hearing loss that occurs with aging (presbycusis). But it can also be caused by living or working around loud noises (acoustic trauma). Tinnitus can occur with all types of hearing loss. It may be a symptom of almost any ear disorder. Other possible causes of tinnitus include:
Most tinnitus that comes and goes doesn't need medical treatment. You may need to see your doctor if tinnitus occurs with other symptoms, doesn't get better or go away, or is in only one ear. There may not be a cure for tinnitus, but your doctor can help you learn how to live with the problem. Your doctor can also make sure that a more serious problem isn't causing your symptoms.
Tinnitus is the sensation of hearing a sound, such as a ringing or roaring, that does not come from a person's surroundings (nobody else can hear it). The sound may be continuous or come and go, it may keep time with the person's heartbeat, or it may coincide with the person's breathing.
To the person who is affected with tinnitus, the sound seems to come from one ear or from inside the head. In rare cases, clicking or crackling sounds or other noises in the ear can be heard by the doctor as well as by the person who has tinnitus.
Normal sounds that come from a person's surroundings are "heard" when sound waves strike the eardrum. The eardrum vibrates, and those vibrations enter the inner ear, where they stimulate nerve cells to create signals that travel along the acoustic nerve to the brain. The brain then translates the signals into patterns that a person recognizes as sounds.
Tinnitus occurs when there is no external source of sound waves. For reasons that are not understood, the brain receives signals, either from inside the head or from within the ear, that cause the sensation of hearing a sound.
Tinnitus is most noticeable (and bothersome) when the affected person is in a quiet environment. The condition is often treated by using background noise to mask the ringing or roaring that is caused by tinnitus.
There isn't a cure for tinnitus, but your doctor can give you ideas on how to manage it. There are things you can do to ease the way it affects your life. One example is to use background noise to mask the sound. Your doctor may suggest hearing aids.
Your doctor will ask questions and may do tests to find the cause of your tinnitus. You might be asked when you started having ringing in your ears. Your doctor may have you take a hearing test. You may also have a CT scan or an MRI.
Some tinnitus may last a long time. To cope with noise, try to:
When you have tinnitus, it means you hear a sound, such as ringing or roaring, that doesn't come from your surroundings. No one else can hear it. You may hear the sound all the time. It also may come and go. It may keep time with your heartbeat or your breathing.
The most common cause of tinnitus is hearing loss that happens with aging. You can also have this problem if you live or work around loud noises. Tinnitus can happen with all types of hearing loss. It can be a symptom of almost any ear problem.
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