How to get rid of noise in ear

Tinnitus is the name for hearing noises that are not caused by sounds coming from the outside world. It's common and not usually a sign of anything serious. It might get better by itself and there are treatments that can help.

Table of Contents Show

Check if you have tinnitus
Non-urgent advice: See a GP if:
What happens at your appointment
Immediate action required: Go to A&E or call 999 if you have tinnitus:
Things you can try to help cope with tinnitus
Treatments for tinnitus
Causes of tinnitus
Video: Tinnitus (BSL version)
Correcting hearing loss
Sound therapy
Counselling
Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)
Tinnitus retraining therapy (TRT)
Why is there an annoying noise in my ear?
Does tinnitus ever go away?

Check if you have tinnitus

Tinnitus can sound like:

ringing
buzzing
whooshing
humming
hissing
throbbing
music or singing

You may hear these sounds in 1 or both ears, or in your head. They may come and go, or you might hear them all the time.

Non-urgent advice: See a GP if:

you have tinnitus regularly or constantly
your tinnitus is getting worse
your tinnitus is bothering you – for example, it's affecting your sleep or concentration, or is making you feel anxious and depressed
you have tinnitus that beats in time with your pulse

What happens at your appointment

The GP will look in your ears to see if your tinnitus is caused by something they can treat, like an ear infection or a build-up of earwax.

They might also check for any hearing loss.

You may be referred to a specialist for further tests and treatment.

Immediate action required: Go to A&E or call 999 if you have tinnitus:

after a head injury
with sudden hearing loss, weakness in the muscles of your face, or a spinning sensation (vertigo)

Things you can try to help cope with tinnitus

Do

try to relax – deep breathing or yoga may help
try to find ways to improve your sleep, such as sticking to a bedtime routine or cutting down on caffeine
try to avoid things that can make tinnitus worse, such as stress or loud background noises
try self-help books or self-help techniques to help you cope better from the British Tinnitus Association (BTA)
join a support group – talking to other people with tinnitus may help you cope

Don’t

do not have total silence – listening to soft music or sounds (called sound therapy) may distract you from the tinnitus
do not focus on it, as this can make it worse – hobbies and activities may take your mind off it

Information:

The British Tinnitus Association (BTA) has more information about sound therapy, and runs support groups and a free helpline on 0800 018 0527.

RNID also has a free helpline on 0808 808 0123.

Treatments for tinnitus

If the cause of your tinnitus is unknown or cannot be treated, your GP or specialist may refer you for a type of talking therapy.

This could be:

tinnitus counselling – to help you learn about your tinnitus and find ways of coping with it
cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) – to change the way you think about your tinnitus and reduce anxiety
tinnitus retraining therapy – using sound therapy to retrain your brain to tune out and be less aware of the tinnitus

Tinnitus retraining therapy may be available on the NHS for people with severe or persistent tinnitus. It's unclear if tinnitus retraining therapy works for everyone. It's widely available privately.

If tinnitus is causing you hearing loss, hearing aids may be recommended.

Causes of tinnitus

It's not always clear what causes tinnitus, but it's often linked to:

some form of hearing loss
Ménière's disease
conditions such as diabetes, thyroid disorders or multiple sclerosis
anxiety or depression
taking certain medicines – tinnitus can be a side effect of some chemotherapy medicines, antibiotics, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and aspirin

Video: Tinnitus (BSL version)

In this video, learn about tinnitus, its possible causes and the effects and how to deal with it.

Media last reviewed: 1 June 2021
Media review due: 1 June 2024

Page last reviewed: 02 October 2020
Next review due: 02 October 2023

There's not usually a quick fix for tinnitus, but it will often improve gradually over time. A number of treatments are available to help you cope.

If your tinnitus is caused by an underlying health condition, treating the condition will help stop or reduce the sounds you hear.

For example, if your tinnitus is caused by an earwax build-up, eardrops or ear irrigation may be used. Ear irrigation involves using a pressurised flow of water to remove the earwax.

Read more about how an earwax build-up is treated.

However, in many cases a cause for tinnitus can't be found, so treatments will be used to help you manage the problem on a daily basis. These are described below.

Correcting hearing loss

Any degree of hearing loss you have should be addressed because straining to listen can make tinnitus worse.

Correcting even fairly minor hearing loss means the parts of the brain involved in hearing don't have to work as hard and therefore don't pay as much attention to the tinnitus.

A specialist will test your hearing and recommend appropriate treatment. This could involve having a hearing aid fitted, and occasionally surgery.

Improving your hearing will also mean sounds you wouldn't otherwise hear will now be audible, which may help override the sounds of your tinnitus.

Sound therapy

Tinnitus is often most noticeable in quiet environments. The aim of "sound therapy" or "sound enrichment" is to fill any silence with neutral sounds to distract you from the sound of tinnitus.

This may involve simple measures such as opening a window to hear noises coming from outside, leaving a radio or television on, or listening to sounds on a portable music player.

You can get specially-designed sound generators that look similar to a radio. These produce quiet natural sounds, such as leaves rustling in the wind and waves lapping on the shore. White noise generators are similar devices that produce a continuous "shushing" sound at a level that's comfortable and soothing.

Also available are pillows containing built-in speakers to help distract you from tinnitus when you go to sleep, and small sound-generator devices that fit in your ear like a hearing aid. Some hearing aids have built-in sound generators for people with tinnitus.

Counselling

Understanding tinnitus plays an important part in learning how to cope with the condition and manage it more effectively.

Tinnitus counseling is a type of therapy where you work with a healthcare professional to help you learn more about your tinnitus and find ways of coping with it. It's usually carried out by hearing therapists, audiologists (hearing disorder specialists) or doctors.

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is often used to treat mental health problems, such as anxiety and depression. It's based on the idea that your thoughts affect the way you behave. Treatment aims to retrain the way you think to change your behaviour.

This technique can be effectively applied to tinnitus. For example, if your knowledge about tinnitus is limited, you may have certain ideas about it that make you feel anxious and depressed. This can make your tinnitus worse.

Changing the way you think about your tinnitus and what you do about it can help reduce your anxiety and enable you to accept the noises, which after a while may become less noticeable.

Tinnitus retraining therapy (TRT)

Tinnitus retraining therapy (TRT) is a special type of therapy that aims to help retrain the way your brain responds to tinnitus so you start to tune the sound out and become less aware of it. The therapy involves a combination of more intensive sound therapy and long-term counselling.

TRT is widely available privately and may be available on the NHS for people with very severe or persistent tinnitus. It should only be carried out by someone specially trained in the technique.

Self-help

Some people find self-help techniques useful for managing their tinnitus. These techniques include:

relaxation – stress can make your tinnitus worse, so relaxation techniques such as deep breathing and yoga may help
listening to music – calming music and sounds may help you relax and fall asleep at bedtime
sleep hygiene – if tinnitus is affecting your sleep, sleep hygiene measures such as sticking to a regular sleep pattern and avoiding caffeine or alcohol shortly before going to bed may help
hobbies and activities – having a hobby or regularly participating in any activity you find enjoyable may help distract you from tinnitus
support groups – sharing your experiences with others who have tinnitus may help you cope better

Action on Hearing Loss provide further details about support and activities in your local area. Their free information line telephone number is 0808 808 0123.

You may also find the British Tinnitus Association a useful source of information. You can call their confidential helpline free of charge on 0800 018 0527.

Why is there an annoying noise in my ear?

Tinnitus is usually caused by an underlying condition, such as age-related hearing loss, an ear injury or a problem with the circulatory system. For many people, tinnitus improves with treatment of the underlying cause or with other treatments that reduce or mask the noise, making tinnitus less noticeable.

Does tinnitus ever go away?

Tinnitus is not a permanent condition, and in many cases, it will go away entirely by itself. For most people, tinnitus will disappear after a few weeks, or even a few days depending on the possible causes behind it.