Tinnitus

ARTICLE SECTIONS

Introduction Signs and symptoms Causes When to seek medical advice

Screening and diagnosis Treatment Coping skills

Introduction

Ringing. Buzzing. Roaring. Whooshing. Chirping. Beating. Humming. While you may enjoy these sounds in nature, they're no fun when they're coming from inside your own head.

Head noise, or ringing in your ears (tinnitus), is common. Millions of people have some degree of tinnitus. For some of them, the ringing in their ears is distressing enough for them to seek medical help. But, tinnitus isn't a disease. It's a symptom that can be caused by a number of medical conditions. Tinnitus may be the result of age-related hearing loss or ear injury, or it may be an indication of a disease of your circulatory system.

Most people find that by taking steps to reduce or mask the noise or by treating its underlying causes, their symptoms improve over time. And although the noise of tinnitus may be annoying, the condition rarely is a warning of a serious problem.

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Signs and symptoms