Tinnitus Symptoms

Quick Glance: Common Tinnitus Symptoms

Tinnitus can differ in sound, rhythm and associated hearing changes. Common symptoms include:

• Ringing in one or both ears

• Buzzing or humming

• Hissing or whistling

• Roaring or clicking

• Whooshing or throbbing in time with the heartbeat

• Reduced or muffled hearing

• Difficulty sleeping because of the sound

• A blocked or full feeling in the ear

The sound may be low or high-pitched and often becomes more noticeable in quiet surroundings. Head, neck or jaw movement may change somatosensory tinnitus.

Tinnitus Symptoms That Should Not Be Ignored

Tinnitus needs medical attention when it starts suddenly, affects one ear, or occurs with other ear or nerve-related symptoms. These warning signs include:

These symptoms have several possible causes. A hearing and ear examination helps identify what needs further investigation.

Why Do Tinnitus Symptoms Occur?

Tinnitus begins when the hearing system produces or interprets nerve signals as sound, even though no sound is present outside the body.

Damage to the sensory hair cells in the cochlea is a common cause. Ageing and repeated exposure to loud noise reduce the sound signals sent to the brain. Changes in the auditory pathways can then create ringing, buzzing or hissing.

Other causes that affect the way sound travels through the ear are:

• Earwax, infection, or middle-ear fluid may cause tinnitus with muffled hearing or pressure.

• Ménière’s disease is linked to tinnitus, vertigo, fluctuating hearing loss and ear fullness.

• A vestibular schwannoma may cause persistent tinnitus in one ear with unequal hearing loss.

Jaw movement or neck tension may change the sound because these signals interact with hearing pathways in the brainstem. Pulsatile tinnitus follows the heartbeat when blood flow near the ear becomes audible. Tinnitus may also begin after starting or increasing a medicine that affects hearing.

Tinnitus Symptoms That Require Immediate Medical Attention

Tinnitus becomes urgent when it occurs with sudden hearing damage, neurological symptoms or trauma. Seek immediate medical care for:

• Sudden hearing loss in one or both ears

• Facial weakness or drooping

• Severe spinning vertigo

• Tinnitus following a head injury

• Sudden speech difficulty

• Weakness or numbness in a limb

• Loss of consciousness

• Severe headache with visual or neurological changes

These combinations can indicate sudden inner-ear damage, neurological dysfunction or trauma and require urgent assessment.

Symptoms of Tinnitus Based on Type

Tinnitus is classified according to who hears the sound, whether it follows a rhythm and how long it lasts. Symptoms of tinnitus as per its types are given below:

Symptoms of Tinnitus-Specific Conditions

Recognised ear, nerve and vascular conditions produce distinct accompanying symptom patterns of tinnitus. These may include:

Tinnitus Symptoms in Children

Children may describe tinnitus as a ringing, buzzing, or other noise inside the ear. Younger children may assume the sound is normal and mention it only during a hearing assessment.

Can You Have Tinnitus Without Symptoms?

Yes. Tinnitus can occur without pain, vertigo or noticeable hearing loss. It may become noticeable only in quiet surroundings. Besides, normal everyday conversation does not rule out hearing loss. Pure-tone audiometry can identify reduced sensitivity at individual frequencies before it becomes obvious during daily communication.

Persistent one-sided or pulsatile tinnitus still requires medical evaluation when no other symptoms are present. In some cases, an ear examination and hearing tests may not identify a definite cause.

When Can Tinnitus Symptoms Become Life-Threatening?

Tinnitus itself rarely threatens life. The emergency risk comes from sudden hearing loss, head trauma, neurological disease or a blood vessel abnormality occurring alongside it. Some of these symptoms of tinnitus that can be life-threatening are:

How are Tinnitus Symptoms Diagnosed?

Assessment for tinnitus records the sound pattern, affected ear and related hearing or neurological symptoms. The following investigations help identify the source:

Earwax, infection or eardrum changes may be identified during otoscopy without imaging. MRI is considered for one-sided tinnitus with unequal hearing loss or neurological signs. Pulsatile tinnitus may require CT angiography or MR angiography to examine blood flow near the ear.