Why are my ears ringing?
Tinnitus is defined as a sensation of noise or ringing in the ears when no external sound is present and it affects about 15 to 20 percent of people. It can also be described as a hissing, buzzing, humming or clicking sound and it may vary in pitch from a low roar to a high squeal. You may hear it in one or both ears, it may be there all the time, or it may come and go.
Tinnitus is not a condition itself but rather a symptom of an underlying condition, such as age-related hearing loss, excessive noise exposure, ear injury, ear infection or earwax. Although bothersome, tinnitus usually isn’t a sign of something serious. It can worsen with age but for many, tinnitus can improve with treatment. To treat your tinnitus, we will first try to identify the condition that may be associated with your symptoms. An audiological evaluation is recommended to evaluate your hearing to help rule out or identify the possible cause.
If a hearing loss is identified, hearing aids may help suppress your tinnitus so that it’s less bothersome as well as through the process of Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT). Through TRT, patients can learn to cope with their tinnitus on a conscious and subconscious level. This technique has helped a lot of patients to reduce stress and improve quality of life.