Tinnitus
Tinnitus is the perception of ringing, buzzing, hissing or another sound without a matching external source. It is a symptom arising within the hearing system or, less commonly, from vascular or other disease.
Key takeaways
- Hearing loss, noise exposure, ear disease and medicines can contribute; tinnitus is not simply proof of poor inner-ear circulation.
- Sudden one-sided tinnitus with hearing loss, pulsatile sound or neurological symptoms requires prompt assessment.
- Hearing care, education, sound strategies and psychological support can reduce impact; no medicine reliably removes all tinnitus.
Catalogue matches do not diagnose the cause or indicate that a vestibular medicine will help tinnitus.
What does the assessment look for?
Clinicians ask whether sound is one- or two-sided, pulsatile, constant or intermittent and review hearing, dizziness, medicines and ear examination. Hearing testing is useful when symptoms persist. Imaging is selective rather than routine for everyone.
How can tinnitus impact be reduced?
Treating earwax, infection or hearing loss may help when present. Background sound, sleep support and tinnitus-focused cognitive behavioural approaches can reduce distress. Betahistine has vestibular indications but is not a general tinnitus cure; see neurology.
When to seek urgent care
Seek urgent assessment for sudden hearing loss, tinnitus after head injury, new weakness or severe vertigo, or pulse-synchronous tinnitus with severe headache or neurological change.