Symptoms · · 7 min read

Tinnitus: ringing in the ears, causes and what helps

Tinnitus is the perception of a sound, such as ringing, buzzing or hissing, that has no outside source. It is a symptom, most often linked with hearing loss or loud noise exposure, and surveys estimate that 10% to 25% of adults have it. Often the cause is unclear, but the distress it causes can be reduced. Noise that pulses with your heartbeat, or that comes with sudden hearing loss, vertigo or facial weakness, needs prompt medical attention.

Illustration of a human ear with red sound waves next to a loudspeaker and a crescent moon, on a pale blue background.

In short

  • Tinnitus is a symptom, not a disease. It is most often linked with hearing loss and loud noise exposure, though sometimes no cause is found.
  • It can sound like ringing, buzzing, roaring, hissing, clicking or humming, in one ear, both ears or inside the head.
  • Noise that beats in time with your pulse deserves a prompt appointment, and so does noise in one ear only.
  • No medicine is approved specifically for tinnitus. Treating a cause, hearing aids, sound therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) are the main options.
  • Tinnitus with sudden hearing loss, vertigo, facial weakness or after a head injury is an emergency.

What tinnitus is and how common it is

Tinnitus is hearing a noise that nobody else can hear. People describe ringing most often, but also whooshing, throbbing, clicking, hissing, humming or even music. The sound may be soft or loud, high or low, constant or intermittent. When it lasts three months or longer it is called chronic.

Surveys estimate that 10% to 25% of adults have tinnitus, and children can have it too. For most people it is an annoyance. For some, it interferes with sleep, concentration, work and mood.

Causes and triggers

The exact cause is often unclear. Hearing loss is strongly associated with tinnitus, although not everyone with hearing loss develops it. Common links include:

  • Loud noise exposure at work, at concerts or sporting events, or through headphones.
  • Age-related hearing loss.
  • Earwax blockage, or an ear or sinus infection.
  • Ménière's disease, which also causes vertigo and fluctuating hearing.
  • Jaw joint problems, head or neck injuries.
  • Medicines, especially at high doses: some NSAIDs and aspirin, antibiotics, chemotherapy drugs, antimalarials and antidepressants.
  • Diabetes, thyroid problems, blood vessel problems and, less commonly, tumors such as an acoustic neuroma.
  • Anxiety and depression are also linked with tinnitus, and stress can make it feel louder.

Never stop a prescribed medicine because you suspect it is behind the noise. Ask your prescriber to review it with you.

Pulsing tinnitus and one-sided tinnitus

If the noise beats in time with your pulse, it is called pulsatile tinnitus. The NHS advises an urgent appointment for this, and the NIH notes that doctors may order imaging such as an MRI, CT or ultrasound to look at blood vessels and the structures of the ear. Tinnitus in only one ear should also be looked at, particularly if it is persistent or getting worse.

Do not delay the visit if the noise comes with headache, changes in vision or dizziness.

What actually helps

  1. Treat a cause if there is oneRemoving earwax, treating an infection or addressing a jaw problem can ease or end the noise.
  2. Check your hearingHearing aids are a main option for people with hearing loss and often make tinnitus less noticeable.
  3. Avoid total silenceQuiet makes tinnitus stand out. Soft background sound from a fan, a sound machine, nature sounds or a phone app can help, especially at bedtime.
  4. Try CBT or tinnitus counselingEducation, coping strategies and cognitive behavioral therapy reduce the distress tinnitus causes, even when the sound itself stays. Tinnitus retraining therapy combines counseling with sound therapy.
  5. Look after sleep and stressKeep a bedtime routine, cut back on caffeine, practice relaxation such as deep breathing, and try not to monitor the noise, since focusing on it can make it worse.

No medicine is approved for tinnitus itself. Providers sometimes prescribe antidepressant or anti-anxiety medicines for the mood and sleep problems that come with it, always as prescribed by a doctor. Vitamins and supplements marketed for tinnitus have not been proven effective.

Protecting your hearing

Loud noise is one of the clearest preventable causes, and limiting exposure also helps avoid making existing tinnitus worse. The WHO warns that more than 1 billion young adults are at risk of permanent, avoidable hearing loss from unsafe listening practices.

  • Wear earplugs or ear defenders at concerts, clubs and when using loud tools.
  • Keep headphone volume moderate and take breaks from listening.
  • Move away from speakers and give your ears quiet time after loud events.

When to see a doctor, and red flags

Start with your primary care provider, who can check for earwax or infection and review your medicines. Make an appointment if tinnitus is constant or regular, is getting worse, is in one ear only, comes with hearing loss, ear pain or discharge, or affects your sleep, concentration or mood.

Call 911 or go to an emergency room if tinnitus follows a head injury or comes with sudden hearing loss, weakness of the face or a limb, trouble speaking or vertigo. If the noise leaves you feeling hopeless or you have thoughts of harming yourself, seek help immediately by calling or texting 988.

What happens at the visit

Your primary care provider will ask about the noise and about hearing, dizziness and medicines, and will look in your ears. You may be referred to an audiologist, who measures your hearing and evaluates the tinnitus, or to an otolaryngologist (ear, nose and throat doctor), who examines the head, neck and ears and may order imaging.

It helps to note when the noise began, whether it is in one ear or both, steady or pulsing, what makes it better or worse, and every medicine you take.

  1. Do I have hearing loss, and would a hearing test or hearing aid help?
  2. Could any of my medicines be involved?
  3. Does my type of tinnitus need imaging?
  4. Where can I get CBT or tinnitus counseling?

Questions and answers

Can tinnitus go away?

Sometimes. If a specific cause such as earwax or an ear infection is found and treated, the noise can ease or stop. With chronic tinnitus the realistic goal is for it to bother you less.

Why is it louder at night?

Without daytime sounds to compete with it, the noise becomes easier to notice, and worry about it can add to the effect. A quiet fan or soft sound in the bedroom often takes the edge off.

Do supplements for tinnitus work?

Products sold as tinnitus remedies, including vitamins and ginkgo, have not been proven effective. A hearing check, sound therapy and help with sleep and anxiety are better places to invest.

Is pulsing tinnitus dangerous?

It is not always serious, but it needs a closer look because it can point to something involving blood vessels. Ask for an appointment promptly rather than waiting for it to pass.

Can stress cause tinnitus?

Stress is rarely the only cause, but anxiety, depression and poor sleep are linked with tinnitus and can make it seem louder. Treating them is part of managing the symptom.

Sources

  1. NIDCD — Tinnitus
  2. NHS — Tinnitus
  3. MedlinePlus — Tinnitus
  4. WHO — Deafness and hearing loss

Sources checked on 29 October 2026.

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