You have probably heard of tinnitus as a ringing in the ears. This condition is more common than you might think, and there are varying levels of severity. Understanding all about tinnitus can help you to prevent it, recognize it, and seek treatment if you need to. Take a look at this guide to find out about tinnitus and what it could mean for you. You can speak to a hearing specialist if you want to know more or think you might have tinnitus.

What is tinnitus?

Tinnitus is when you have a noise in your ears or head can be caused by a range of factors. While it’s often described as a ringing sound, tinnitus can also produce a number of other noises. People describe their tinnitus sounds as whistling, humming, white noise and a variety of other noises. Many people say that they hear different sounds, rather than just one of them. Tinnitus might be mild or more severe, and it can be temporary or permanent.

The causes of tinnitus

No one is completely sure what causes tinnitus. Tinnitus sounds technically come from your brain, not from your ears. When your brain feels that it’s missing some information, it asks for more from your ears. But if your ears don’t have more information to give, it leaves your brain working overtime. This occurs when something changes in your body or sometimes your mind. For this reason, tinnitus can be caused by many different things. Hearing loss is a common association, but there are many others, from ear infections to stress.

Tinnitus and hearing loss

Most cases, about two-thirds, of tinnitus are related to hearing loss. This is one of the reasons it’s important to see a hearing healthcare provider if you think you have tinnitus. Treating your hearing loss can help to improve the symptoms of tinnitus. Hearing aids can help you to hear again, and can also be combined with sound devices. The purpose of the sound device is to provide environmental noise which serves as a distraction and helps the tinnitus to become background noise.

Tinnitus treatments

Hearing aids are one way to treat tinnitus for people who have hearing loss. It’s also possible to use wearable sound devices on their own to provide sound therapy or as part of tinnitus retraining therapy. Sound therapy uses sounds like white noise to help alleviate tinnitus symptoms. This could be helpful because it’s a distraction or it might make the hearing parts of your brain less sensitive. Tinnitus retraining therapy or TRT uses sound therapy combined with counseling to help you manage your emotional response to tinnitus.

Preventing tinnitus

You can help to prevent tinnitus by taking good care of your ears. Sudden loud noises and prolonged exposure to loud noise can damage your hearing permanently. It’s also important to watch out for temporary problems, such as ear infections or wax build up. Tinnitus can also be the result of medication side effects, injuries or various other things. It’s important to see a hearing professional to find out the cause and the best treatment.