Symptoms of tinnitus
Tinnitus (pronounced tin-it-us) affects about 13% of the UK population (or 1 in 8). It's commonly caused by hearing loss or an ear injury. Tinnitus is often described as a ringing in the ears that only you can hear, but it can also be heard as a:
People with tinnitus can also experience hearing loss. In fact, about 80% of people who suffer from tinnitus will have some degree of hearing loss.
People with tinnitus often experience hearing loss too. Our quick online tinnitus test can help give you an idea of whether or not you might have tinnitus and/or hearing loss, and what you can do about it.
* The result of the test may only be used for guidance. Official conclusions about hearing loss/tinnitus can be provided by our registered hearing care experts.
* The result of the test may only be used for guidance. Official conclusions about hearing loss/tinnitus can be provided by our registered hearing care experts.
* The result of the test may only be used for guidance. Official conclusions about hearing loss/tinnitus can be provided by our registered hearing care experts.
* The result of the test may only be used for guidance. Official conclusions about hearing loss/tinnitus can be provided by our registered hearing care experts.
What causes tinnitus?
There are many possible causes of tinnitus. The most common is exposure to excessive noise. This damages the tiny hair cells in the inner ear. The ringing in your ears is the result of your brain trying to compensate for the loss of hair cells.
Common causes of ringing in the ears include:
There is no cure for tinnitus, but there are ways you can manage it and reduce its impact on your life. There are also measures you take to help prevent tinnitus. The following management techniques can be rather effective in turning a potentially negative and emotionally charged sound (tinnitus) into a neutral presence.
Sound therapy can provide relief from ringing in the ears
Although sound therapy can't get rid of tinnitus, it can be a helpful tool for managing the symptoms. With sound therapy, you listen to different, carefully selected sounds. These can help you feel that your tinnitus is reduced or temporarily gone.
It then becomes easier to focus on things other than your tinnitus. Plus, sound therapy helps you to focus on something more pleasant. You can find the sound therapy that gives you the most effective relief from ringing in the ears by working together with your hearing care expert.
Sound therapy can be provided through:
Hearing aids not only help with hearing loss, they 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.
Most of our hearing aids offer sound therapy sounds that are customised to your individual needs and preferences.
Take a look at our hearing aids, many of which have tinnitus masking features:
Tinnitus and hearing loss – do you have both?
Research shows that most people with tinnitus have some degree of hearing loss – even without being aware of it – and many of them can benefit from hearing aids.
80% of people with tinnitus also have hearing loss
Hearing aids can help transmit more sounds into the ear and brain, so they can reduce tinnitus symptoms. Improved hearing can also help you to focus on sounds other than tinnitus. For lots of people, this improvement is enough to experience relief.
Some tinnitus sufferers become sensitive to places with constant talking or loud music, so they begin to avoid social situations altogether. For others, it is so disturbing that getting a full night’s sleep can be difficult. If left untreated, tinnitus can lead to:
Some people can ignore their tinnitus most of the time, but leaving it untreated can have a negative impact on your life if it's experienced over extended periods of time.
Fiona Idriss is a highly experienced Hidden Hearing audiologist with over 30 years of experience in delivering a range of patient-centred services. Fiona specialises in auditory rehabilitation with holistic support, including relaxation and mindfulness techniques for tinnitus and sound sensitivity. Find out more here:
Last reviewed 2024-07-01
1. Al-Swiahb, J., & Park, S. N. (2016). Characterization of tinnitus in different age groups: A retrospective review. Noise & health, 18(83), 214–219. https://doi.org/10.4103/1463-1741.189240
2. Beck D.L. (2012) British Academy of Audiology. Podium presentation.
3. Sümbüle Köksoy, Can Mehmet Eti, Meltem Karataş, The Effects of Yoga in Patients Suffering from Subjective Tinnitus, Int Arch Otorhinolaryngol. 2018 Jan; 22(1): 9–13.
4. https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/003043.htm
5. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.3109/03005368509078983
6. https://tinnitus.org.uk/understanding-tinnitus/living-with-tinnitus/tinnitus-and-hearing-loss/
1. Hidden Hearing: Tinnitus Specialist.
2. Hidden Hearing: Advice about managing tinnitus
3. RNID Research into managing tinnitus
