{"id":990,"date":"2026-02-23T10:23:40","date_gmt":"2026-02-23T07:23:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.profdrelifaksoy.com\/en\/?p=990"},"modified":"2026-02-23T10:23:47","modified_gmt":"2026-02-23T07:23:47","slug":"what-is-tinnitus-ringing-in-the-ears","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.profdrelifaksoy.com\/en\/what-is-tinnitus-ringing-in-the-ears\/","title":{"rendered":"What is Tinnitus (Ringing in The Ears) ?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Tinnitus<\/strong>, commonly known as ringing in the ears<\/strong>, is the perception of sound by a person when there is no external sound source present. This sound may manifest as ringing, buzzing, hissing, whistling, or pulsing. It can be felt in one ear, both ears, or inside the head. Tinnitus is not a disease<\/strong> itself, but a symptom of an underlying condition. Therefore, the correct approach is to investigate the cause before attempting to silence the ringing.<\/p>\n

What Are the Types of Tinnitus?<\/h2>\n

Tinnitus is broadly classified into two main groups:<\/p>\n

1. Subjective Tinnitus<\/h3>\n

It is the most common type.
\nOnly the patient can hear it.
\nIt is generally associated with hearing loss or inner ear (cochlea) damage.<\/p>\n

2. Objective Tinnitus<\/h3>\n

It is rare.
\nThe doctor can hear the sound during examination.
\nIt is most often linked to vascular causes<\/strong> or muscle spasms.<\/p>\n

3. Pulsatile Tinnitus<\/h3>\n

A sound synchronized with the heartbeat is perceived.
\nThis condition must always be investigated in detail.<\/p>\n

What Causes Tinnitus?<\/h2>\n

Tinnitus can have many causes. The most common include age-related hearing loss (presbycusis), noise exposure, acoustic trauma, earwax buildup, middle ear infections, otosclerosis, auditory nerve tumors (e.g., vestibular schwannoma), vascular causes (high blood pressure, anemia, vascular anomalies), systemic and metabolic causes (thyroid disorders, diabetes, vitamin deficiencies), and medications (Ototoxic Effect) (certain antibiotics, chemotherapy drugs, high-dose aspirin).<\/p>\n

How Does Tinnitus Develop in the Brain?<\/h2>\n

According to current scientific data, tinnitus is not solely a problem originating from the ear. Following damage to the inner ear, the auditory pathways in the brain reorganize. While the brain attempts to “complete” the missing sound, it generates a phantom sound<\/strong>. This is related to neuroplasticity. Additionally, the limbic system (emotional center) can amplify the intensity of tinnitus perception. This is why stress, anxiety, and sleep deprivation make the ringing more pronounced.<\/p>\n

How Is Tinnitus Evaluated?<\/h2>\n

Tinnitus evaluation is personalized and includes the following steps:
\n\u2714 Detailed medical history
\n\u2714 Audiological tests (hearing test)
\n\u2714 Tympanometry
\n\u2714 MRI imaging if necessary
\n\u2714 Blood tests
\nFurther investigation is essential for tinnitus that is unilateral, sudden in onset, accompanied by hearing loss, or synchronized with the pulse.<\/p>\n

Is There a Treatment for Tinnitus?<\/h2>\n

The treatment of tinnitus is directed at the underlying cause<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

If an underlying cause is identified:<\/h3>\n
    \n
  • Earwax is removed<\/li>\n
  • Infection is treated<\/li>\n
  • A hearing aid is recommended if hearing loss is present<\/li>\n
  • Vascular causes are investigated<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    If cause-directed treatment is not possible:<\/h3>\n
      \n
    • Sound therapy (white noise)<\/li>\n
    • Tinnitus retraining therapy (TRT)<\/li>\n
    • Cognitive behavioral therapy<\/li>\n
    • Hearing aids<\/li>\n
    • Masking devices<\/li>\n
    • Lifestyle modifications<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      There is currently no definitive medication that completely eliminates tinnitus; however, with proper management, significant relief can be achieved in the vast majority of patients.<\/p>\n

      When Should You Seek Urgent Care?<\/h3>\n

      If accompanied by sudden hearing loss
      \nIf there is continuously worsening ringing in one ear
      \nIf it is pulsatile
      \nIf dizziness and loss of balance are present
      \nIn these situations, an ENT specialist should be consulted without delay.<\/p>\n

      Prof. Dr. Elif Aksoy
      \n<\/strong>
      \nENT Head and Neck Surgery Specialist<\/strong>
      \nVoice and Swallowing Disorders<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      Tinnitus, commonly known as ringing in the ears, is the perception of sound by a person when there is no external sound source present. This sound may manifest as ringing, buzzing, hissing, whistling, or pulsing. It can be felt in one ear, both ears, or inside the head. Tinnitus is not a disease itself, but […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":991,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-990","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.profdrelifaksoy.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/990","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.profdrelifaksoy.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.profdrelifaksoy.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.profdrelifaksoy.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.profdrelifaksoy.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=990"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.profdrelifaksoy.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/990\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":993,"href":"https:\/\/www.profdrelifaksoy.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/990\/revisions\/993"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.profdrelifaksoy.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/991"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.profdrelifaksoy.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=990"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.profdrelifaksoy.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=990"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.profdrelifaksoy.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=990"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}