Tinnitus is a perception of ringing, buzzing, or humming in the ears. It is a condition that many people struggle with, yet its impact is often underestimated. It can disrupt sleep, affect concentration and take a toll on mental health. As an ENT specialist, I have seen many patients affected by tinnitus and ringing ears and understand how distressing it can be.
Tinnitus and Ringing Ears
Causes
Tinnitus can arise from various factors, including:
- Hearing Loss – Age-related or noise-induced hearing loss can lead to tinnitus.
- Ear Conditions – Ear infections, wax buildup or Ménière’s disease may contribute.
- Medication – Certain antibiotics, anti-inflammatory drugs and chemotherapy medications can trigger tinnitus or ringing ears.
- Neurological and Circulatory Issues – Conditions such as high blood pressure or multiple sclerosis (MS) may cause tinnitus.
- Often no cause is found even after thorough investigation
Diagnosis
A thorough evaluation is essential to better understand the cause or trigger of tinnitus and work out if it’s possible to treat or ‘dial down’ the issue for the patient. A patient coming to see me would typically have all or some of the following evaluations:
- Medical History – Understanding a person’s overall health and any diagnosed medical conditions is vital. I will also discuss the sounds, duration, severity, triggers and how it is affecting your quality of life
- Physical Examination and Endoscopy – Using an otoscope, I examine the ear canal and ear drum for any abnormalities
- Hearing Test – A pure-tone audiometry and tympanogram tests to assess hearing function.
- Additional Tests – In some cases, imaging (CT/MRI scans) may be recommended to rule out underlying conditions.
Treatment Options
While tinnitus cannot always be cured, various treatments can help manage symptoms. Managing tinnitus often requires collaboration between specialists known as Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) care. Here is an example of how several specialists can work together:
- ENT Doctors – Like myself can diagnose tinnitus and treat underlying ear conditions, such as earwax removal, medication adjustments or addressing circulatory issues.
- Audiologists – Assess hearing and can offer ‘sound therapy’ such as white noise machines or hearing aids that can mask tinnitus sounds. They can also advice on triggers e.g. avoiding very loud music. After treatment, they will conduct a post-treatment hearing test to assess how much clearer your hearing is
- Mental Health Professionals – Counselling can help patients cope with the emotional impact and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) can help a person to ‘dial down’ their perceptions of tinnitus. Reducing stress and getting good sleep are both recognised at helping to reduce ear ringing
As one of the country’s leading ENT doctors I have a wealth of experience of working with an expert MDT team to treat Tinnitus or at least ‘dial down’ ear ringing so a patient can cope better. Please contact me if you are struggling with this debilitating condition. Click here to make an enquiry.