Tinnitus: which sound do you hear?

Tinnitus, or ringing in the ears, means hearing sound when there is no sound source: ringing, whooshing, humming, buzzing or thumping. It usually happens because your brain amplifies the signal for pitches where your ear delivers less input, for example after noise damage. An estimated 14% of adults worldwide have it.

Yes. Tinnitus is the medical name; ‘ringing in the ears’ is the everyday term. Both mean you hear a sound with no source around you, whether it rings, rushes, hums or thumps.

The main symptom is hearing a sound that no one else hears — ringing, hissing, buzzing, humming or thumping — in one or both ears or in your head. If you hear it regularly, you have tinnitus. Use the tinnitus test on this page to find out which sound fits best. A GP or audiology clinic can then measure your hearing and the tinnitus accurately.

A short ringing that lasts a few seconds and fades on its own is very common and harmless. If you hear ringing after a concert, festival or loud bang, your ears have been overloaded: give them a rest. If the ringing stays, or you hear worse on one side at the same time, call your GP or doctor the same day.

It’s different for everyone. The most common form is a high ringing or whistling tone. Other people hear hissing, rushing, humming, buzzing, clicking or a pulsing sound in time with their heartbeat. On this page you can listen to all the tinnitus sounds and use the tinnitus test to find the sound that fits best.

The best-known cause is noise damage from concerts, festivals, work or loud headphones. Ageing, an earwax plug, a cold, stress, tension in the jaw or neck, some medicines and the blood vessels around the ear can also play a part. Often there is no single cause.

There is no medicine (yet) that cures tinnitus. But the cause can sometimes be treated, such as earwax, an infection or fluid behind the eardrum. For lasting tinnitus, sound enrichment, a hearing aid for hearing loss and support from an audiology clinic, such as cognitive behavioural therapy, can bring relief. For most people the tinnitus then bothers them clearly less.

Temporary tinnitus after a loud night usually disappears within a day. Tinnitus caused by a cold or earwax also often fades once the cause is gone. If you’ve had it for more than three months, it’s called chronic tinnitus; it usually doesn’t disappear completely, but for most people it does become less of a burden.

Yes. Temporary tinnitus after loud sound, after a cold or from earwax in particular can suddenly stop once the cause is gone. Chronic tinnitus can also vary a lot from day to day or be barely audible for a while. If it comes back after loud sound, that’s a signal to protect your ears better.

Yes. New noise damage can make tinnitus louder or add a new tone. Stress and lack of sleep often make it temporarily worse too. So protect your ears well in loud sound, for example with custom earplugs.

Sometimes, especially with a pulsing or whooshing sound in time with your heartbeat (pulsatile tinnitus). Blood pressure or the blood vessels around the ear, such as a narrowing, may then play a part. For most types of tinnitus, blood pressure is not the cause. If you hear your heartbeat in your ear, always have it checked by your GP or doctor.

Don’t sit in complete silence, because that makes the sound stand out. Don’t turn music up loud to drown out the tinnitus, don’t wear earplugs in quiet situations and don’t poke around in your ear with cotton buds. And don’t keep searching for miracle cures: a pill or supplement that cures tinnitus doesn’t exist (yet).

Stress rarely causes tinnitus on its own, but it does make the sound louder and more noticeable. Relaxation, exercise, a regular sleep pattern and a soft background sound help your brain push it into the background. If it keeps taking over your days, talk to your GP or doctor; support such as cognitive behavioural therapy works well for many people.

In a quiet bedroom your brain has nothing else to focus on, so the tinnitus stands out. A soft background sound, such as a fan, rain or quiet music, makes it less noticeable. In the module Silence makes tinnitus louder you can hear the difference for yourself.

Often the cause is harmless, such as earwax, a cold or noise that mainly reached one side. If it doesn’t go away, have it checked by your GP or doctor. If it came on suddenly and you also hear worse on that side, call the same day.

Your balance organ sits right next to the cochlea in the inner ear, so symptoms can occur together, for example with Ménière’s disease or an inner ear infection. If you have tinnitus together with dizziness or vertigo, a full feeling or fluctuating hearing, see your GP or doctor.

That depends on the cause. If the noise comes from an earwax plug, it often disappears once the ear is clean. After a cold it usually fades on its own. If the noise is lasting, a soft background sound helps to push it into the background.

Usually, yes. A cold or middle ear infection can cause negative pressure or fluid behind the eardrum, giving you a rushing sound and a muffled feeling. This often clears up on its own within a few weeks. If it lasts longer, or you get ear pain or a fever, see your GP or doctor.

Always with sudden tinnitus and worse hearing (call the same day), with a pulsing sound in time with your heartbeat, with tinnitus on one side that doesn’t go away, and with dizziness, ear pain or fluid coming from the ear. And of course if the sound strongly affects your sleep or daily life.

Earplugs don’t cure tinnitus, but they do stop it getting worse by protecting your ears from new noise damage. Wear them in loud sound, not all day in quiet situations: that actually makes your hearing more sensitive and the tinnitus more noticeable. With filtered custom earplugs, such as the Custom Music, music stays clear while the volume comes down to a safe level.

Yes. An earwax plug can cause a muffled feeling and a rushing sound. Don’t use cotton buds, as they push the wax deeper. At our service points in the Netherlands you can have earwax removed.

There is no vitamin or supplement that has been proven to reduce tinnitus. If you suspect a deficiency, for example of vitamin B12, have it checked by your GP or doctor instead of buying products yourself.

No. The test helps you describe the sound and gives insight and tips, but it doesn’t replace a medical examination. Headphones and speakers don’t reproduce every pitch equally well, so the frequency you find is an approximation. If you’re unsure or recognise a warning sign, see your GP or doctor.