Tinnitus (Ringing in the Ears)

Tinnitus is the term for a noise in your ear not caused by an outside sound. The noise might be a ringing, clicking, hiss, or roar. It can vary in pitch. The noise may be soft or very loud. For some people, this is a minor problem. But for others, the noise can make it hard to hear, work, and even sleep.

Hearing loss, head or neck injuries, and earwax buildup can cause tinnitus. So can certain medicines. Large amounts of aspirin or acetaminophen (Tylenol) as well as some antibiotics can cause tinnitus. In many cases, the exact cause of tinnitus is not known.

The best way to treat tinnitus is to find and remove the cause. So your doctor may refer you to an ear, nose, and throat specialist (ENT or otolaryngologist). Your hearing may also be checked by a hearing specialist (audiologist). If you have hearing loss, wearing a hearing aid may help your tinnitus. When the cause can't be found, the tinnitus itself may be treated. Some of the treatments are listed below. Your doctor can tell you more about them.

• Sound therapy. This is the use of background music or noise set on the lowest level to provide relief from tinnitus. Sound therapy also includes meeting with the audiologist for more education and counseling to help your tinnitus.
• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). This involves weekly sessions with a counselor to find unhelpful behaviors and work to change them to increase your quality of life.
• Progressive tinnitus management. This combines sound therapy and CBT in a structured program to help with the effects of tinnitus on your everyday life.

Managing any other health conditions you may have (like diabetes, high blood pressure, or heart disease) is also important for treating tinnitus.

• American Speech-Hearing-Language Association at 800-638-8255 or www.asha.org
• American Tinnitus Association at 800-634-8978 or www.ata.org
• National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders at 800-241-1044 or www.nidcd.nih.gov