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Ringing in the ears (tinnitus)
Category: Head, Eyes, Ears, Nose & Throat · All head & senses symptoms
What it can feel like
Tinnitus is hearing sound — ringing, buzzing, hissing or humming — that is not coming from outside. It is usually heard in quiet rooms and at night. Tinnitus is a symptom rather than a disease, most often linked to some degree of hearing change in the inner ear.
Possible causes
A symptom can have many causes, and most are not serious. The lists below group conditions this symptom can be associated with — common causes first. They are possibilities to discuss with a clinician, not a diagnosis.
Common causes
Tinnitus can be associated with wax, hearing loss of any cause, recent loud noise, stress, tiredness, and medicines including high-dose aspirin and some antibiotics.
Other possible causes
Tinnitus in one ear only, tinnitus that pulses with the heartbeat, or tinnitus with hearing loss can be associated with a growth on the hearing nerve or with blood-vessel conditions near the ear — patterns that need imaging.
Red flags — when to seek help promptly
- Tinnitus in one ear only that persists
- Tinnitus that beats in time with the pulse
- Tinnitus with sudden hearing loss — same-day assessment
- Tinnitus with severe dizziness or neurological symptoms
- Tinnitus that is severely affecting sleep, mood or concentration
What a clinician may do
A clinician will examine the ears, arrange a hearing test, and review medicines and blood pressure. One-sided or pulsing tinnitus leads to ENT referral and usually an MRI scan; otherwise management focuses on hearing aids where loss exists, sound therapy and sleep strategies.
Watch: related videos
Examination and clinical videos from the MedicalVideos.com library relevant to this symptom. Some clinical footage is graphic — that is the nature of a medical video library.
Related guides on MedicalVideos.com
Frequently asked questions
Why is one-sided tinnitus checked more carefully?
Because a small, slow-growing benign tumour on the hearing nerve (acoustic neuroma) typically announces itself exactly this way — one-sided tinnitus with one-sided hearing loss. An MRI excludes it, and finding it early keeps treatment options open.
Is there a cure for tinnitus?
There is no pill that switches it off, but treating the underlying cause (wax, hearing loss), hearing aids, background sound at night and tinnitus retraining approaches substantially reduce how intrusive it is for most people.
Related symptoms — Head, Eyes, Ears, Nose & Throat
Browse the R section of the A–Z list or return to the Symptoms A–Z hub.