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Causes of tinnitus

Tinnitus (ringing in the ears or head) can have different causes—hearing loss being one of them. Exposure to loud and/or excess sounds can damage the tiny hair cells in the inner ear, leading to hearing loss.

In fact, an estimated 90% of people with tinnitus have some degree of hearing loss.¹

Take the Online Tinnitus Quiz Tinnitus treatment
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What causes tinnitus?

Common causes of tinnitus include:

1. Exposure to loud, sudden, or excessive noise
2. The natural aging process
3. Middle ear infections
4. Head, neck, and/or temporomandibular joint (TMJ) injuries or dysfunction
5. Headaches and migraines
6. Reaction to medication
7. Emotional distress
8. Diabetes
9. Hyperacusis (intolerance to noise)
10. Other untreated medical conditions such as Ménière's disease, otitis media (middle-ear infection), etc.

Do I need a hearing test?

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Online Tinnitus Quiz

People with tinnitus often experience hearing loss. Our quick online tinnitus quiz can help you understand if you might have tinnitus and/or hearing loss and what you can do about it.

Question 1
Do you ever experience ringing or buzzing sounds in your ear(s) when no external sound is present?
Do you ever have trouble falling asleep or concentrating due to any ringing or buzzing sounds in your ear(s)?
Do you ever have trouble following conversations because you don’t hear properly?
Do you find yourself turning up the volume on the TV or radio louder than normal?

Your result:

Indications of tinnitus and hearing loss

Your answers indicate that you may experience symptoms of tinnitus and hearing loss. We recommend that you visit one of our hearing centers. There are hearing aids that can treat your hearing loss and might give you relief from your tinnitus.*


Book a complimentary hearing assessment at an office near you

† The result of this questionnaire may only be used for guidance. Official conclusions about hearing loss/tinnitus can be provided by our certified hearing care experts.

Your result:

Indications of hearing loss

Your answers indicate that you may experience symptoms of hearing loss but no symptoms of tinnitus. We recommend that you visit one of our hearing centers to to see if you have a hearing loss that should be treated.*


Book a complimentary hearing assessment at an office near you

† The result of this questionnaire may only be used for guidance. Official conclusions about hearing loss/tinnitus can be provided by our certified hearing care experts.

Your result:

Symptoms of tinnitus indicated

Your answers indicate that you may experience symptoms of tinnitus. We recommend that you read about tinnitus treatment options to learn about how to cope with and find relief from tinnitus symptoms.*

† The result of this questionnaire may only be used for guidance. Official conclusions about hearing loss/tinnitus can be provided by our certified hearing care experts.

Your result:

No tinnitus or hearing loss indicated

Your answers indicate that you may not have tinnitus - or that you have non-bothersome tinnitus that is not currently affecting your everyday life. However, we encourage you to book a complimentary hearing assessment to establish a baseline.

Request a complimentary hearing assessment*:

† The result of this questionnaire may only be used for guidance. Official conclusions about hearing loss/tinnitus can be provided by our certified hearing care experts.

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Can stress or anxiety cause tinnitus?

While it's unlikely that stress may be a direct cause of tinnitus, research shows that there could be a link.2

Some main causes of stress include bereavement, emotional or physical health changes, divorce, feeling under pressure, facing big changes in your life, and excess worry about something. The stress this puts on your mind and body may cause temporary tinnitus, or cause existing tinnitus to flare up.

But tinnitus can cause stress and anxiety, and affect people in different ways and to different degrees. Some also find that it makes them irritated or depressed, while others aren't affected much or at all. Tinnitus may also make it difficult to fall sleep and stay asleep.

Person experiencing stress and discomfort from tinnitus while holding her head.

Can certain medications cause tinnitus?

There are some medications that can affect your ears and your hearing health; these are referred to as being ototoxic.

Which medications can cause tinnitus?
Ototoxic drugs may temporarily intensify tinnitus symptoms, while some are thought to cause tinnitus and/or long-term hearing loss. There are more than 200 known ototoxic medications (prescription and over-the-counter) on the market today.3

Ototoxic drugs are often used for purposes where the benefits outweigh the risks of hearing loss or tinnitus. It's always a good idea to ask your doctor about the potential side effects when prescribed a new medication.

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Can COVID-19 cause tinnitus?

Studies have shown a link between COVID-19 and hearing loss, tinnitus, and dizziness due to the effect that the virus has on the nervous system and the auditory–vestibular system.4

Contact your doctor if you are unsure about your symptoms or are still experiencing symptoms four weeks after having coronavirus.

Tinnitus symptoms

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If you experience sudden onset of hearing
loss or tinnitus, contact a doctor today.

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Hearing aids can help with tinnitus

The better you hear, the less your tinnitus stands out.

Hearing aids amplify sounds around you, which helps redirect your attention away from the tinnitus sounds. Your brain can more easily focus on external sounds, making your tinnitus less noticeable.

Moreover, the latest hearing aid models have specially designed programs with built-in sound options to help ease and soothe your tinnitus symptoms in an additional way.

Hearing aids for tinnitus Tinnitus treatment
Leslie Soiles, Chief Audiologist at [Company Name]
Dr. Leslie Soiles

Au.D., Doctor of Audiology
Lic. #364, Chief Audiologist, HearingLife
Dr. Leslie Soiles founded HearingLife's Shrewsbury office (formerly New England Hearing Instruments) in 1996. As a Doctor of Audiology, she has worked with Ear, Nose and Throat Physicians for the first 20 years of her career.

Dr. Soiles serves as Chief Audiologist for HearingLife. Click here to read her complete bio and learn more about her education and background.

General_Last_Reviewed 2024-04-16

Sources

1.https://hearinghealthfoundation.org/hearing-loss-tinnitus-statistics
2. Ciminelli, P., Machado, S., Palmeira, M., Carta, M. G., Beirith, S. C., Nigri, M. L., Mezzasalma, M. A., & Nardi, A. E. (2018). Tinnitus: The Sound of Stress?. Clinical practice and epidemiology in mental health : CP & EMH, 14, 264-269.
3.https://www.asha.org/public/hearing/Ototoxic-Medications/
4.Jafari, Z., Kolb, B., & Mohajerani, M. (2022). Hearing Loss, Tinnitus, and Dizziness in COVID-19: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences, 49(2), 184-195.
5. https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/tinnitus#2
6. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laneur/article/PIIS1474-4422(13)70160-1/abstract
7. https://hearinghealthfoundation.org/tinnitus-resources#tinnitus-causes

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