Tinnitus
Find relief from ringing with hearing aids and counselling.
What is Tinnitus?
Tinnitus is the presence or sensation of sound when no external sound is present. It is often described as ringing in the ears, but some people describe tinnitus as hissing, whistling, roaring, chirping or buzzing.
Causes of Tinnitus
The exact trigger or cause of tinnitus is unknown, but there are various factors that may contribute.
- Loud noises: Exposure to loud noises can damage the tiny hairs in the cochlea and lead to hearing loss and tinnitus.
- Ageing: The tiny hairs in your ears may deteriorate over time and contribute to hearing loss and tinnitus.
- Medications: Some prescription medications (such as antibiotics, anti-inflammatories and antidepressants) can be harmful to the inner ear and nerve fibres that connect the ear to the brain. This damage can contribute to tinnitus.
- Hearing conditions: Some ear disorders (like otosclerosis and Meniere’s disease) are known to contribute to tinnitus.
- Health conditions: Tinnitus can also be a symptom of health conditions like cardiovascular disease, hypertension, stress and head injuries.
Effects of Tinnitus
The type and degree of sounds vary from barely noticeable to debilitating. For some people, the effects are temporary or intermittent. For others, the effects are permanent or have a profound impact on their daily life.
Tinnitus Management
There is no cure for tinnitus, but there are technologies and therapies to manage the impacts of unwanted noises. Sound therapy and tinnitus masking technologies help the brain to ignore the sounds so tinnitus is less of a distraction. Many modern hearing aids include tinnitus masking features that can be customized to the specific type of sounds that are present.
Get a Hearing Test
If you notice ringing in your ears, a hearing test can assist in understanding the degree and potential causes. We will review your results and outline the options – from hearing aids to therapy – that can help you manage the effects of tinnitus and find relief from unwanted sounds.