What Is Tinnitus? Symptoms, Evaluation & Management
A plain-language guide to tinnitus, common symptoms, professional evaluation and management approaches.
What tinnitus means
Tinnitus is the perception of sound without an external source. People may describe ringing, buzzing, roaring, whistling, humming, clicking, hissing or squealing, and it can occur in one ear, both ears or the head.
Tinnitus and hearing loss
NIDCD notes that most people with tinnitus have some degree of hearing loss, although tinnitus has multiple possible associations and experiences vary.
When evaluation matters
An ENT may evaluate tinnitus and an audiologist can measure hearing. NIDCD notes that imaging may be considered in some situations, particularly pulsatile tinnitus. Sudden or rapidly worsening hearing loss and one-sided symptoms also deserve timely medical attention.
Management approaches
NIDCD describes sound therapies, hearing aids for people who also have hearing loss, behavioral therapy and tinnitus retraining approaches. There is currently no universal cure.
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