Embarrassing Illnesses

Tinnitus is the medical name for the perception of noise in one ear, both ears or in the head. The noise comes from inside the body rather than an outside source.

People with tinnitus can experience different types of sounds. Most people describe it as a ringing sound, but other sounds may include:

• buzzing,
• humming,
• whistling, or
• music.

Sometimes, the noise associated with tinnitus beats in time with a person’s pulse. This is known as pulsatile tinnitus.

Tinnitus is often worse at quiet times, such as when you are trying to get to sleep. This is because there is less background noise to distract you from the sounds of tinnitus. The symptom may also be more noticeable when you are tired.

Tinnitus is a symptom rather than a condition in itself. The sounds are usually only heard by the person who has tinnitus, although in a few, rare cases they can also be heard by other people.

Temporary tinnitus can be caused by a cold, a blow to the head, or prolonged exposure to a loud noise, such as a music concert.

How common is tinnitus?

Tinnitus is a common condition. A 2007 study carried out by The Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID) found that one in seven people in the UK have experienced tinnitus. Long-term tinnitus is much less common, affecting about one in 100 people.

Tinnitus can occur at any age but is more common in older people and can sometimes affect young children.  

Outlook

Many people learn to live with tinnitus but it can have a significant impact on a person’s everyday life. For example, it can affect concentration and cause sleeping problems and depression.

There is currently no cure for long-term tinnitus. Therefore, the aim of treatments, such as sound therapy, relaxation therapy and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), is to help people effectively manage their symptoms. For more information, see Treating tinnitus.