What Is Tinnitus? Causes, Symptoms & Treatments

Tinnitus is the medical term for hearing noises in your ears when there is no external sound source. It is often described as a 'ringing in the ears,' but it can also sound like buzzing, hissing, roaring, clicking, or whistling.

It is important to understand that tinnitus is not a disease itself, but a symptom of an underlying condition. Common causes include age-related hearing loss, exposure to loud noises (like machinery or music), earwax blockages, and changes in ear bones.

For many people, tinnitus is a minor annoyance. However, for others, it can cause severe distress, difficulty sleeping, anxiety, and trouble concentrating.

While there is no single 'cure' for most cases of chronic tinnitus, there are highly effective management strategies. These include sound therapy (using white noise or hearing aid maskers to make tinnitus less noticeable), Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT) to habituate the brain to the sound, and counseling to reduce the emotional impact.

If you are experiencing ringing or buzzing in your ears, a comprehensive audiological evaluation is the crucial first step. At SRI Speech & Hearing Clinic, Ludhiana, we design custom tinnitus management plans tailored to your specific hearing profile.