What Is Tinnitus?

January 12, 2026


If you’re hearing humming, ringing, or buzzing in your ears or head, you might have tinnitus. Though these noises may be only mildly annoying to some, tinnitus can be a sign of other underlying medical conditions that need to be addressed promptly. Review our guide to tinnitus to determine whether it could be affecting you and what you can do to treat it.

What Is Tinnitus?

Tinnitus is the perception of sound, like ringing or buzzing, without an external source. It often accompanies hearing loss and can be triggered by various factors, affecting daily life for some.

Tinnitus is commonly linked with hearing loss, but its causes can include noise exposure, head trauma, ear infections, circulatory issues, medication side effects, or changes in the auditory system.

While it can improve over time, tinnitus can also worsen, and in some cases, it leads to chronic symptoms lasting more than three months. Though it rarely signifies a serious

medical condition, it can affect quality of life by causing mood disturbances, sleep problems, and difficulty concentrating.

Signs of Tinnitus

Tinnitus can cause a variety of sounds in adults and children, including:

  • Ringing
  • Buzzing
  • Humming
  • Hissing
  • Roaring

The symptoms of tinnitus can differ greatly between individuals. For example, tinnitus-caused sounds may be heard in one or both ears or in the head. The sounds can be soft or loud, high-pitched or low-pitched, and may come and go.

Types of Tinnitus

The most common types of tinnitus include subjective, objective, and pulsatile tinnitus. Learn more about different forms of tinnitus below:

Subjective Tinnitus

Subjective tinnitus is the most common form, where only the individual experiencing it can hear the sound. Despite how loud the noises might sound to the patient, other people won’t be able to detect the noise.

Somatosensory tinnitus is a type of subjective tinnitus, where head or neck movement alters the perception of sound. The impact on daily life can vary, with some experiencing distractions severe enough to interfere with concentration or hearing external sounds.

Objective Tinnitus

Objective tinnitus is rarer and occurs when a condition affecting the mechanical structures near the ears causes the sound. For example, muscle spasms or high blood pressure can cause objective tinnitus.

While it can’t be heard from a distance, an objective tinnitus sound can be detected with specialized equipment like a stethoscope.

Pulsatile Tinnitus

Pulsatile tinnitus is characterized by rhythmic sounds in the ear, often in sync with the heartbeat. This noise can sound like rushing or roaring and is usually linked to blood vessels near the ear.

Conditions such as vascular tumors, atherosclerosis, or idiopathic intracranial hypertension can contribute to pulsatile tinnitus.

Causes of Tinnitus

Tinnitus can be triggered by a variety of factors, with some causes being more common than others. Review the primary causes of tinnitus below:

Common Causes of Tinnitus

  • Noise exposure: Prolonged exposure to loud noises is a leading cause of tinnitus.
  • Hearing loss: Both age-related hearing loss and noise-induced hearing loss are strongly associated with tinnitus. While hearing loss is common in those with tinnitus, not everyone with hearing loss experiences it.
  • Medications: Certain drugs, especially when taken in high doses, can trigger tinnitus. These drugs include non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen and aspirin, antibiotics, chemotherapy drugs, and antidepressants.
  • Ear blockages or infections: Earwax buildup or fluid from an ear infection can lead to tinnitus by affecting the ear canal.
  • Head or neck injuries: Damage to the ear structures, auditory nerve, or brain areas that process sound can result in tinnitus.
  • Blood pressure issues: Conditions like high blood pressure and atherosclerosis can impact blood flow near the ear, contributing to tinnitus.
  • Trauma or stress: Physical trauma or emotional stress, such as from traumatic brain injuries or significant psychological stress, may also lead to the onset of tinnitus.

Rarer Causes of Tinnitus

  • Ménière’s disease: This inner ear disorder causes tinnitus along with balance issues and hearing loss.
  • Jaw joint disorders: Jaw clenching or grinding teeth can put pressure on surrounding tissues, potentially leading to tinnitus.
  • Tumors: Tumors like vestibular schwannomas (also called acoustic neuromas) or other head, neck, or brain tumors may cause tinnitus.
  • Vascular issues: Abnormal blood vessel conditions, such as malformations or vascular tumors, can lead to pulsatile tinnitus.
  • Chronic health conditions: Tinnitus can also be linked to chronic conditions like diabetes, migraines, thyroid disorders, anemia, and autoimmune diseases such as lupus and multiple sclerosis (MS).
  • Metabolic and autoimmune disorders: Disorders such as hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, and fibromyalgia are also connected to tinnitus.
  • Traumatic explosive blasts: Exposure to concussive blasts, often seen in military settings, can result in tinnitus due to trauma to the head or ears.

When to See a Doctor About Tinnitus

While some people may not be bothered by their tinnitus enough to feel the need to see a doctor, you should still have it evaluated to determine if it’s caused by a more serious underlying condition.

You should see a doctor about your tinnitus as soon as possible if you:

  • Experience dizziness or hearing loss alongside the tinnitus
  • Feel depressed or anxious due to your tinnitus
  • Developed tinnitus following an upper respiratory infection, and it hasn’t improved within a week

How Tinnitus Is Diagnosed

Unless a patient is suffering from objective tinnitus, doctors can’t detect tinnitus. As a result, ear, nose, and throat (ENT) specialists tend to base their diagnosis on a person’s description of their symptoms and how these symptoms affect their daily life.

Since tinnitus is often linked to hearing loss, an ENT specialist will often schedule a hearing test to determine how well different parts of a patient’s ear function. These tests can also help a doctor determine if the tinnitus and hearing loss have the same or different causes.

If a patient is suffering from hearing loss in only one side of their ear (called unilateral tinnitus), an ENT may recommend an imaging test, such as ultrasounds, CT scans, or MRI scans. The reason for the imaging test is due to unilateral tinnitus potentially being caused by medical conditions or structural problems on one side of the head.

Doctors also often recommend imaging tests for pulsatile tinnitus. With an imaging test, a doctor can see if there are any changes to blood vessels near the ear and check for any underlying medical conditions that could be causing symptoms.

How Tinnitus Is Treated

Tinnitus can be a symptom of many different conditions, meaning treatment will vary based on the suspected reason for your symptoms.

At times, treatment for the underlying cause can help resolve the issue. For example, tinnitus caused by an ear infection can go away once the infection is treated.

How to Deal With Tinnitus

If tinnitus isn’t resolved by treating an underlying condition, patients still have options for reducing their symptoms. Common treatments for managing tinnitus include:

  • Acoustic therapy
  • Tinnitus retraining or auditory habituation therapy
  • Music therapy
  • Hearing aids
  • Counseling or cognitive-behavioral therapy
  • Antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications
  • Stress management

Tinnitus FAQs

How Common Is Tinnitus?

Globally, tinnitus is very common, with studies suggesting that about 14% of adults experience it. However, only 2% of adults experience a severe form of it.

Tinnitus is also more common in older adults. For example, 10% of young adults (18-44), 14% of middle-aged adults (45-64), and 24% of older adults (65 or older) experience the condition.

Is Tinnitus Curable?

Tinnitus is not always curable. Whether it can be cured will vary based on the underlying condition causing it.

What Is the Cause of Tinnitus in One Ear Only?

Unilateral tinnitus is often caused by:

  • Earwax buildup
  • Ear infections
  • Exposure to loud noise
  • Ménière’s disease
  • Cholesteatoma (a cyst-like growth that occurs behind the eardrum)

If a patient is also experiencing hearing loss or vertigo alongside their unilateral tinnitus, it may be due to strokes in the brain stem, MS, or cerebellopontine angle tumors (a kind of brain tumor).

What Does Tinnitus Sound Like?

Those with tinnitus often report that they can hear ringing, buzzing, hissing, roaring, whistling, clicking, whooshing, or pulsing.

Can Hearing Aids Help Tinnitus?

Medical research shows that hearing aids can help with tinnitus. While hearing aids won’t cure the condition, they can reduce patients’ awareness of their symptoms and make it easier to hear external sounds that were masked by tinnitus.

What Are the Best Hearing Aids for Tinnitus?

While you should consult with a doctor, the best hearing aids for tinnitus will mask the symptoms and amplify external sounds. They should also include sound therapy programs.

Can Drugs Cause Tinnitus?

Yes, some medications can cause tinnitus. If you’re experiencing tinnitus, consult with your doctor about the medications you’re taking to determine whether a side effect could be the cause.

Are There Any Tinnitus Medications?

Currently, there aren’t any FDA-approved drugs for treating tinnitus.

Receive Treatment for Tinnitus in Granville County at Granville ENT

If you’re looking for a specialist in Oxford, NC, Granville Health System has you covered. Our Ear, Nose, and Throat specialists are well-trained to determine the underlying cause of your tinnitus symptoms.

Learn more about Granville ENT today. If you’re ready to receive treatment for tinnitus, please make an appointment.
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