Are you experiencing ringing in your ears?

Tinnitus is often described as a ‘ringing in the ears’, but what people with this condition hear is highly variable. Some people hear hissing, whooshing, roaring, whistling or clicking. It can be intermittent or constant, single or multiple tones or more noise-like. The most common description of noise-induced tinnitus is a high pitched tone or noise.

The volume or loudness of the sounds heard varies between individuals and can range from very quiet to disturbingly loud. Although some people say that it comes and goes or as a tone that changes pitch throughout the day, for most, it is a steady, unchanging noise that is present during every waking minute.

Tinnitus typically develops after the inner ear is damaged or impaired somehow. Some potential causes of tinnitus include:

• Exposure to loud noises like loud music during concerts or festivals
• Ear infections.
• Hearing loss.
• Head or neck injuries/problems
• A buildup of earwax.
• A build-up of fluid behind the eardrum.
• Some medications (e.g. very rare side effect of Covid-19 vaccine)

Tinnitus can often be diagnosed by an audiologist or hearing health professional based on the symptoms a patient describes. This being said, however, further investigation may be required to identify and treat the cause of the condition if an underlying health issue is thought to be present.

Several different tests are used to help diagnose tinnitus and its causes, including:

• Hearing tests. A series of tests will be conducted by an audiologist to examine the state of your hearing and to determine if you are living with any degree of hearing loss. Testing may also be used to determine what type of hearing loss has developed.
• Imaging tests. If relevant to the suspected cause of your symptoms, imaging tests, such as an MRI or CT scan may be recommended.
• Movement tests. For some people, movement of the jaw, neck, eyes, arms or legs may worsen the symptoms they experience. Your doctor may ask you to move different parts of your body to help rule out certain health conditions.
• Blood tests. If your doctor believes that the symptoms you are experiencing may be caused by an underlying health issue, they may recommend that you undertake a blood test or two. This may be used to rule out conditions such as vitamin deficiencies, thyroid issues and anemia.