Ringing in Ears: Causes of Tinnitus Sounds and Treatments

Understanding That Annoying Ringing Sound in Your Ears

If you randomly hear ringing, buzzing, hissing or other phantom noises in one or both ears, you're experiencing a common condition known as tinnitus. This bothersome ear symptom can negatively impact daily life, but there are ways to manage and minimize it.

What Causes Ears to Ring?

Tinnitus is often caused by underlying conditions that affect hearing function or the auditory system. Causes can include:

• Hearing loss - Damage to the inner ear or auditory nerve
• Earwax buildup - Hardened, compressed wax touching the eardrum
• Ear bone changes - Stiffening of middle ear bones or otosclerosis
• Ménière's disease - Fluid buildup in the inner ear
• TMJ disorders - Jaw and skull joint issues
• Head injuries - Trauma to the head or neck
• Acoustic neuroma - Noncancerous inner ear tumor
• Blood vessel disorders - Circulation issues, aneurysms, etc.

Ringing Ears Symptoms

The main symptom of tinnitus is hearing phantom noises that come and go or persist continuously. Common tinnitus noises include:

• Ringing
• Buzzing
• Hissing
• Humming
• Roaring
• Clicking
• Pulsing

These phantom sounds are usually only heard by the affected person. They can occur in one or both ears. Tinnitus may also coincide with:

• Hearing loss
• Dizziness or vertigo
• Ear discomfort, fullness or pain
• Sensitivity to loud noises
• Difficulty understanding speech

Diagnosing Ringing Ear Causes

To determine the underlying cause of tinnitus, doctors may conduct:

• Hearing exams
• Imaging tests like CT or MRI scans
• Blood vessel studies
• Earwax removal and ear examination
• Tests for inner ear conditions like Ménière's

Your medical history, description of noises, and associated symptoms help guide testing and diagnosis.

Medical Treatments for Ringing Ears

If a treatable condition like earwax blockage, an infection, or high blood pressure is causing tinnitus, addressing that underlying issue may eliminate the ear ringing. Possible medical treatments include:

Medications

Drugs that may provide ringing relief include antidepressants, antianxiety, anticonvulsants, and lidocaine injections.

Hearing Aids

Hearing aids often produce background noise that helps mask and distract from tinnitus noises.

Sound Therapy

Soothing external sounds can help override internal ringing sounds via white noise machines, fans, music, etc.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Counseling helps develop coping skills for managing reactions to bothersome tinnitus symptoms.

Tinnitus Retraining Therapy

TRT uses sound therapy and counseling to help your brain learn to tune out and be less disturbed by tinnitus noises.

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

TMS uses electromagnetic pulses to decrease tinnitus noise signals being transmitted to the brain.

Home Remedies for Ringing Ears Relief

Natural remedies, lifestyle changes, and self-care can also provide tinnitus symptom relief. Home treatment options include:

Limiting Salt Intake

Reducing salt consumption improves blood circulation, lowering ringing ear symptoms.

Avoiding Stimulants

Cutting back on stimulating substances like caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine diminishes ear ringing episodes.

Trying Supplements

Some supplements like ginkgo biloba, zinc, magnesium, B vitamins and melatonin may aid tinnitus.

Reducing Stress

Relaxation techniques like yoga, meditation, massage, and deep breathing minimize stress known to worsen tinnitus.

Using Essential Oils

Soothing oils like cypress, rose, helichrysum, and chamomile contain properties that may muffle ringing ears.

Listening to White Noise

Exposure to soothing white noise, nature sounds, or calm music masks unpleasant ringing noises.

Avoiding Irritants

Steering clear of things that exacerbate tinnitus like loud noises, decongestants, and stimulants prevents flare-ups.

Managing Chronic Tinnitus

For chronic tinnitus cases with no treatable underlying cause, management focuses on coping techniques to help tune out the noises and minimize their impact.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

CBT counseling helps identify and modify reactions to tinnitus, reducing anxiety and annoyance.

Sound Therapy

Soothing background sounds like white noise can mask unpleasant ringing sensations.

Tinnitus Retraining Therapy

TRT uses counseling and sound therapy to help the brain learn to filter out phantom ear noises.

Education and Support

Learning about tinnitus and joining a support group makes living with chronic ringing easier.

Healthy Lifestyle

Stress management, regular exercise, nutritious eating, and adequate sleep minimize the aggravation of tinnitus.

Masking Devices

Hearing aids, white noise machines, and other devices add pleasant sounds to override ringing ears.

Medications

Antidepressants, anxiety drugs, or other medications can dampen tinnitus noise signals reaching the brain.

Preventing Ringing Ears

While not always possible, taking measures to prevent tinnitus or halt its early progression may help. Prevention tips include:

• Using earplugs around loud noises
• Treating ear infections promptly
• Keeping blood pressure controlled
• Avoiding excessive earwax buildup
• Reducing intake of salt, alcohol and stimulants like caffeine
• Not smoking, as tobacco is linked to tinnitus
• Preventing whiplash, head injuries
• Managing stress levels with relaxation techniques

Consult your doctor right away if ringing ears arise after an upper respiratory infection or attending loud concerts. Quick treatment of early symptoms may help.

Emerging Tinnitus Research

With millions plagued by chronic tinnitus, researchers are exploring potential cures including:

• Electrical or magnetic stimulation - Altering nerve signals to and from the brain
• Botulinum toxin injections - Paralyzing middle ear muscles thought to trigger some tinnitus
• Transcranial laser treatments - Using low-level laser light to improve inner ear function
• Ultrasound treatments - Aiming ultrasound waves into the brain to shift tinnitus frequency
• Gene therapy - Switching off genes involved in auditory nerve malfunction and tinnitus

Tinnitus treatments of the future may involve more targeted sound therapies and nerve stimulation tailored to individual cases.

When to See a Doctor

Consult your doctor if ringing ears:

• Happen suddenly or without apparent cause
• Occur along with dizziness or hearing loss
• Arise after accidents, infections or taking new medications
• Persist nonstop for over a week
• Seem unbearably loud or disabling
• Prevent you from sleeping or concentrating

Receiving a medical evaluation for sudden or severe tinnitus helps identify any serious underlying source requiring treatment.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new treatment regimen.