Ringing in the ears (Tinnitus): What it is
It is a condition which is related to hearing loss.
However, it can have many causes, including exposure to loud noise, aging, ear infections, and injury.
It can also be experienced as hissing, roaring, or buzzing sounds. While there is no direct cure for ringing in the ears, there are several ways that you can reduce the impact it has on your quality of life.
Take a free hearing test at your nearest HearingLife clinic to find out whether you are experiencing tinnitus or hearing loss.
Our online test can help you test for tinnitus and understand what you can do about it if you have tinnitus/hearing loss.
What are the signs of tinnitus?
The symptoms of tinnitus include noises in the ears or head that can sound like:
- Ringing
- Buzzing
- Humming
- Whooshing
- Whistling
The symptoms of tinnitus can vary depending on the underlying causes of the tinnitus and its severity. The phantom noise may vary in pitch from a low roar to a high squeal, and you may hear it in one or both ears. Tinnitus may be present all the time, or it may come and go intermittently.
What can tinnitus be a symptom of?
What are the symptoms of severe tinnitus?
Tinnitus is rarely a sign of a serious underlying condition, but in the case of severe tinnitus, sounds can be so loud that they interfere with your ability to concentrate or hear actual, external sounds. When it lasts more than six months, it's known as chronic tinnitus.1
Please consult an ENT or hearing care professional if you are concerned about your tinnitus or if it is affecting your daily life.
Online Tinnitus Test
People with this condition often experience hearing loss too. Our quick online test can help you test for tinnitus and understand what you can do about it if you have tinnitus/hearing loss.
Your result:
Indications of tinnitus and hearing loss
Book a FREE hearing test in a clinic near you
Book FREE hearing test* The result of the test may only be used for guidance. Official conclusions about hearing loss/tinnitus can be provided by our certified hearing care experts.
Your result:
Indications of hearing loss
Book a FREE hearing test in a clinic near you
Book FREE hearing testYour result:
Symptoms of tinnitus indicated
* The result of the test may only be used for guidance. Official conclusions about hearing loss/tinnitus can be provided by our certified hearing care experts.
Your result:
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. If you experience symptoms of tinnitus in the future, we recommend visiting your local health care provider.
* The result of the test may only be used for guidance. Official conclusions about hearing loss/tinnitus can be provided by our certified hearing care experts.
Signs and symptoms of different types of tinnitus
Can tinnitus be a symptom of hearing loss?
Tinnitus and hearing loss are closely linked. An estimated 90% of people who experience tinnitus have some degree of hearing loss.2
Hearing
aids can be a great help for people with tinnitus. When you hear better, your brain is given more sound information to process, just as it is supposed to have.3
Hearing aids help process the sound in a natural way so that you can listen with less effort. Many hearing aids today also come equipped with soothing tinnitus relief sounds
Tinnitus relief can be an emotional relief
We know tinnitus can be mentally taxing,4 especially because other people may not experience it themselves or understand what it’s like to live with it. Since stress can exacerbate tinnitus symptoms, it can become a vicious cycle.
Fortunately, there are ways to alleviate the symptoms and take charge of your well-being. If your tinnitus is due to hearing loss, modern hearing technology can be a great help for you.
Learn about the helpful remedies for tinnitus
Katie graduated with a Bachelor of Health Sciences (Honours) Degree, with Distinction, from the University of Western Ontario in 2006, followed by a Master's degree in Audiology from the same institution in 2008. Upon completing her studies, she began providing hearing healthcare as an Audiologist at various HearingLife clinics in the Waterloo Region, eventually settling at the Cambridge HearingLife clinic, where she has helped her clients experience better hearing for over 13 years.
Alongside her role as Senior Manager, Audiology at HearingLife, she has been a Part-Time Professor at Conestoga College in the Hearing Instrument Specialist program since 2019, teaching both Clinical Principles 1 and 2 courses.
Last reviewed 2024-12-16
If you experience sudden onset of hearing
loss or tinnitus, contact an ENT doctor today.
Sources
1. https://www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/tinnitus-ringing-in-the-ears-and-what-to-do-about-it
2. https://hearinghealthfoundation.org/hearing-loss-tinnitus-statistics
3. https://www.oticon.global/hearing-aid-users/blog/2020/all-about-tinnitus
4. Fetoni, A. R., Lucidi, D., De Corso, E., Fiorita, A., Conti, G., & Paludetti, G. (2016). Relationship between subjective tinnitus perception and psychiatric discomfort. The international tinnitus journal, 20(2), 76-82.