Tinnitus is characterized by hearing a ringing noise in your ears. It's often described as a ringing sound but people also describe it as buzzing, whistling, humming, crackling and other sounds. Tinnitus can be temporary or chronic, depending on the cause. It is strongly linked to hearing loss but can have a number of causes and underlying factors. When you have tinnitus, there are multiple options for treatment to help relieve it. Some treatments can get rid of tinnitus, while others will help you to manage a case of chronic tinnitus. If you have tinnitus, these treatments could make it easier to live with.

Hearing Aids

Tinnitus is usually linked to hearing loss. By treating the hearing loss, you can improve the tinnitus. Hearing loss can't be cured but hearing aids do help to improve your hearing. If you have tinnitus, you can also wear hearing aids that feature masking functions. They are designed to cover the noise of your tinnitus and help to habituate you to the sound. After having your hearing tested, your audiologist can help you to choose the best hearing aids. They will also fit your hearing aids and provide advice and support to help you adjust.

Sound Machines

Sound machines can be used at home to provide sound therapy for tinnitus. Similar to hearing aids with masking devices, they help to provide a distraction and habituate you to the sound of your tinnitus. Sound machines produce sounds such as white noise or other sounds, such as nature sounds or gentle music. Using a sound machine can help you to relax and they're often small enough to take with you. Wearable devices that are not part of a hearing aid are available too. Some often find sound machines particularly useful at night to help them get to sleep.

Tinnitus Retraining Therapy

Tinnitus retraining therapy is a therapy that is designed to help you learn to cope with your tinnitus. It combines sound-producing devices and psychological therapy to help you learn to get used to the sound of your tinnitus and change the way that you react to it. Wearing a masking device helps to distract you from the sound of your tinnitus, while talking therapy teaches you to ignore your tinnitus and how to relax. Anxiety and stress can make tinnitus worse so learning how to manage your emotions can help to make it easier to cope with.

Lifestyle Changes

Some lifestyle changes can also help with tinnitus. There are some types of medications that can cause tinnitus and changing these could help to treat the tinnitus. Being a smoker and drinking alcohol could both make tinnitus worse. 

Quitting smoking and cutting back on or quitting alcohol will not only improve your overall health but can treat tinnitus too. One simple solution to tinnitus might be to have excess earwax removed from your ears. A buildup of wax can cause temporary hearing problems, pain and tinnitus.

There are multiple treatments available for tinnitus. The best approach will depend on any underlying causes and what works for you.