If you’ve ever experienced ringing in the ears following an event or a night out at a club, you are aware of how annoying it is.

Imagine that the ringing continues. Forever.

That is the personal horror that tinnitus, which affects millions of people around the world.

What is tinnitus?

A ringing sound in the ears is how most individuals describe their symptoms of tinnitus, which, unsurprisingly, is derived from the Latin word for “ringing”.

Although it doesn’t always ring – many people report hearing buzzing, hissing, whistling, or crunching noises instead. These noises originate entirely inside the sufferer’s mind and have no external source.

Tinnitus isn’t a disease or an illness, it’s a symptom of something else, an underlying cause.

So what causes tinnitus?

The honest truth is, we’re not 100% sure what causes tinnitus.

From what we can tell, prolonged exposure to loud sounds is the main cause. People who work in factories, rock musicians, mechanics and landscapers are all examples of careers that can be dangerous.

It can also be brought on by other diseases and ailments, with ear infections being the most common.

By keeping your ears clean and avoiding putting anything in them – yes, even cotton buds – you can prevent infections. Your ears are self-cleaning, that’s one of the functions of earwax, you don’t need to go poking around in there with anything!

Other causes of tinnitus include stress and anxiety, so try to keep a healthy life balance by taking some time out for yourself.

There are reports of some medications also causing it, especially when you start or stop taking them, most notably aspirin, certain antibiotics and anti-inflammatories.

Will it eventually go away?

Tinnitus often goes away on its own once the underlying cause has been addressed, although it could last for several weeks or even months. The length and severity of the issue depend on how bad the underlying illness is.

If it doesn’t go away on its own, it could indicate lifelong hearing loss or, in the worst situations, a tumour. Audiologists or ENT doctors should be consulted if symptoms last more than a few weeks.

Unfortunately, because we don’t really know what causes it, there is no cure for tinnitus, but various treatments can help to manage the symptoms.

These may include sound therapy, cognitive behavioural therapy, and medication. In some cases, a combination of these treatments may be effective in reducing the severity of the problem.

If you do start to hear a ringing in your ears, then the first thing to do is to have them checked. It might be a simple issue of having something stuck in there or too much wax!

Give Julie-anne a call and make an appointment for a check-up. With any luck, she can find the issue without you having to go to the doctor and be put on a waiting list.