Tinnitus is the medical name for hearing noise in your ear; it is more commonly known as having ‘ringing ears’. This condition causes noise to be heard from inside the body, rather than external noises. Most people experience tinnitus at some point in their lives; often, it develops after a loud music concert or after a night out at a club where the music has been playing loudly or as a result of a cold. Short-term tinnitus is very common but long-term tinnitus is rare.
Treating tinnitus
Tinnitus is not usually a problem in the short-term but it can be very disruptive and disorientating in the long-term. Short term tinnitus is usually treated by addressing the cause of the problem; for example, the symptoms of a cold or an ear infection can be treated with over the counter pain relief or antibiotic medication. There is no cure for long-term tinnitus so doctors refer patients for therapies which will teach them how to manage to symptoms more effectively; these include sound therapy and counselling.