Tinnitus (Ringing in the Ears)

What is Tinnitus (Ringing in the Ears)?

Tinnitus is often described as a ringing in the ears but the sound may also be swishing, buzzing, roaring, clicking, whistling, hissing, or squealing that appear to be originating in the ear or head, when no sound is actually present. Tinnitus can be heard in one ear or in both: mild and only noticeable in a quiet room or loud to the point where the person hears nothing else: present all of the time or occur intermittently, low or high in pitch. Depending on the severity, tinnitus can interfere with a person’s ability to concentrate. Tinnitus is a symptom sound of many medical conditions and is usually accompanied by hearing loss and sometimes with dizziness. Possible causes include hearing loss, Ménière’s disease, excessive noise exposure, migraines, head injury etc.

What can professionals do to help?

If you are experiencing tinnitus you should have a complete audiological evaluation by a qualified audiologist. The audiologist can test your hearing to see if a hearing loss is present. This hearing evaluation will provide information about the possible cause and based on the results the audiologist will discuss treatment options with you.