What Causes Tinnitus? ENT Explains in Simple Words

What Causes Tinnitus? ENT Explains in Simple Words

Ever wondered why your ears ring when the everything around you are silent?
Or where that constant buzzing or hissing is coming from? This sound isn’t from outside it’s from within – and it’s called tinnitus.

• If you’re hearing it, you’re not alone.
• As an ENT doctor, I meet people every day asking this exact question –
  Doctor, what causes tinnitus and will it ever go away?
• In this post, I’ll explain the real reasons behind tinnitus. Let’s explore this mystery together.

What Is Tinnitus?

Tinnitus means hearing a sound that isn’t coming from the outside. It could be:

• Ringing sound
• Buzzing sound
• Hissing sound
• Clicking sound
• Sound like heartbeat or pulse

Some people hear it in one ear, some in both. Sometimes it’s soft, sometimes loud. It may come and go or stay persistently all the time. 

What Causes Tinnitus?

Following are the most common causes of tinnitus, sometimes doctors cannot find exact reason to the tinnitus, but it happens due to some disturbance in hearing receptors.

Hearing loss – Age-Related or in general

As we grow older, the tiny cells or sound receptors inside our inner ears can get damaged. These cells send sound signals to the brain. If they’re damaged or disrupted, they send faulty signal and the brain may “hear” sound even when there’s none.

Loud Noise Exposure

Loud noise exposure can cause tinnitus. Listening to loud music, fireworks, heavy machines, or traffic noise without ear protection can all injure your ears permanently and cause ringing in the ear.

Earwax Build up

Sometimes, wax accumulates inside the ear it may put pressure on the ear and can cause tinnitus. Removal of the wax safely by an ENG specialist often helps.

Ear Infections or Sinus Problems

Colds, sinus issues can cause eustachian tube blockage and ear infection and can cause ringing sounds temporarily. Treating the blockage and cold usually helps.

Certain Medications

Some antibiotics, painkillers, and cancer medicines can affect your ears. Always let your doctor know if tinnitus starts after starting a new medicine.

Head or Neck Injuries

Accidents or falls can impact the head or neck and affect hearing nerves and thus cause tinnitus.

Jaw Joint (TMJ) Issues

The Jaw or temporomandibular joint (TMJ) problems can trigger ringing.

Blood Flow Issues (Pulsatile Tinnitus)

If you hear your own heartbeat in your ear, it could be due to high blood pressure or blood vessel issues. Please visit your ENT specialist if you have pulsatile tinnitus. it often requires MR angiograom.

Stress and Anxiety

Stress and our reaction to the tinnitus can make it louder. The more anxious we feel, the more we “hear” it.

(soon read my blog post about tinnitus and anxiety relation)

When There’s No Clear Cause: The Brain’s Role in Tinnitus

What If All Your Test Reports Are Normal, But You Still Hear the Ringing?

Tinnitus can still happen even when your hearing tests and scans look perfectly normal. In such cases, the real issue lies in how your brain processes sound, not in the ear itself.

When the brain detects a gap in sound input, it often overcompensates. This creates a loop of overactive sound perception, especially in the auditory and emotional circuits of the brain. That’s why:

• You may have tinnitus even with normal hearing.
• It gets worse with stress, anxiety, or silence.

This is what makes tinnitus a neuro-auditory condition, not just an ear problem. And that’s why evidence-based therapies like CBT, TRT, mindfulness, and sound therapy help calm the brain and gradually reduce the noise. Read about treatment of tinnitus

Why Should you consult an ENT specialist for tinnitus?

it is important to consult an ENT specialist & Tinnitus expert near you if you hear ringing sound in your ear. ENT will examine the ear thoroughly and will try to find the cause of your tinnitus.
There are few conditions causing tinnitus which ENT doctor can treat after thorough evaluation. Also it is important to meet ENT to rule of rare tumor of the nerve of hearing.

When Should You See an ENT Specialist?

• The sound doesn’t go away
• Tinnitus is in only one ear
• You also feel dizzy or lose hearing
• You had an injury recently
• If tinnitus is affecting your sleep, focus and work
• Early care can prevent long term implication.
• Book your ENT Consultation in Navi Mumbai

How Do Doctors Treat Tinnitus?

There’s no one-size-fits-all cure for tinnitus, but there are many options for treatable causes of tinnitus.

• Earwax Removal
• Hearing Aids
• Sound Therapy
• Tinnitus retraining therapy
• CBT to reduce stress and anxiety that worsens tinnitus
• Lifestyle Advice like reducing caffeine, alcohol, and screen time

most important in tinnitus treatment is support and understanding.
You’re not imagining it. And you’re not alone.

You can read more about details of treatment of tinnitus by CBT,TRT, Sound therapy at my clinic in Navi Mumbai

Tinnitus is causing distress? Simple Tips to Feel Better

• Listen to soft nature sounds while sleeping
• Cut down on caffeine if it makes symptoms worse
• Practice deep breathing or yoga
• Use white noise machines or apps
• Limit screen time and loud headphones

Final Thoughts

• Tinnitus can be troubling—but it’s manageable.
• Start with understanding. Then take the next gentle step toward help.
• You don’t have to suffer in silence.
• Tinnitus is real and it has reasons.