Ringing, buzzing, hissing or whistling that nobody else can hear. It is extremely common, it is almost never dangerous, and there is more that can be done about it than most people are told. Here is the honest version: what it is, when it needs a doctor rather than an audiologist, and what genuinely helps.
Most tinnitus is not urgent. These few things are.
Contact your GP urgently, or call NHS 111, if any of these apply:
None of these mean something terrible is happening. They mean a doctor should look before an audiologist does. We would tell you exactly the same thing if you rang us, and we would rather you read it here first.
Tinnitus is not a disease. It is a symptom: hearing a sound that has no source outside your head. Roughly one adult in seven experiences it, so if it has just started for you, you are in very ordinary company.
The most common thread is hearing loss. When the ear stops sending the brain certain quiet sounds, the brain tends to turn its own volume up, and what you notice is the noise it generates in the gap. That is also why tinnitus is so often worse in a silent room at 2am and barely noticeable in a busy kitchen.
Other common contributors: earwax blocking the canal, exposure to loud noise over the years, ear infections, some medicines, and stress, which does not cause tinnitus but reliably makes an existing one louder and harder to ignore.
For most people, no, and be wary of anyone who says otherwise. There is no pill, drop or procedure that reliably removes tinnitus. What is genuinely achievable is making it much less intrusive, to the point where many people only notice it if they go looking for it. That is a real and worthwhile outcome, and it is what honest tinnitus care aims at.
The exception is tinnitus with a specific, treatable cause. Wax blocking the ear canal is the obvious one. Deal with the cause and the noise may settle on its own, which is why any sensible appointment starts by simply looking in your ears.
Graded honestly, strongest first.
| Approach | How well it holds up |
|---|---|
| Treating a specific cause (e.g. removing earwax) | Where a cause is found, dealing with it is the most direct route |
| Hearing aids, where there is hearing loss too | One of the better supported approaches. Not a cure, and not for everyone |
| Talking therapies such as CBT | Good evidence for reducing the distress, even though the sound itself is unchanged |
| Sound enrichment: gentle background sound instead of silence, especially at night | Widely recommended and costs nothing to try |
| Protecting your hearing from further loud noise | Prevents things getting worse; will not undo what is done |
| Understanding what it is | Sounds too simple. Genuinely reduces the alarm, and alarm is half the problem |
Notice what is not on that list: supplements, "tinnitus cures" sold online, and anything that promises silence. If we do not think something will help you, we will say so rather than sell it to you.
Both are legitimate. They suit different people.
| NHS | Independent clinic (us) | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free | £50 assessment, refunded against hearing aids |
| How you get in | GP referral to audiology or ENT | Book direct, no referral |
| Wait | Varies by trust | Usually days |
| Tinnitus management programmes | Yes — Newcastle Hospitals and other North East trusts run them | Assessment, advice and hearing aids where appropriate |
| Home visits | Limited | Yes, across Newcastle and the North East |
If you want structured tinnitus therapy or counselling, ask your GP about the NHS route — those services exist in the North East and they are good. Come to us if you want your ears and hearing checked quickly and honestly, and a straight answer about whether hearing aids would help you specifically.
When it started, what it sounds like, when it is worst, and what it is actually stopping you doing. Sleep and concentration matter more here than the pitch of the noise.
On a screen you can see too. Wax is the most common reversible cause and it takes minutes to rule in or out.
Because whether there is hearing loss underneath the tinnitus changes what will help. This is the question that decides everything else.
What we found, what would help, and what would not. If that means telling you hearing aids are not your answer, that is what you will hear.
| Price | |
|---|---|
| Full hearing assessment, including discussing your tinnitus | £50 — refunded in full against hearing aids |
| Ear wax removal, both ears, in clinic | £60 |
| Ear wax removal, both ears, at home | £80 |
| Hearing aids, if they would help | From £700 per aid |
| NHS route via your GP | Free |
Our clinic is at The Valley Shopping Village, Team Valley, Gateshead NE11 0EN, about ten minutes from Newcastle city centre, just off the A1, with free parking directly outside. We also do home visits across Newcastle upon Tyne, Gateshead, Sunderland, Durham, Washington, South Shields, North Tyneside and the wider North East, including care homes.
Paul Jepson, Hearing Aid Audiologist, registered with the HCPC (HAD02842) and a member of BSHAA, with around twelve years' experience. The same person at every appointment.
This page is general information about tinnitus, not a diagnosis or medical advice about your own ears. If you are worried, or any of the urgent signs above apply to you, please speak to your GP or call NHS 111.
A proper look at your ears and your hearing, and an honest answer. Team Valley clinic in Gateshead, or a home visit across Newcastle and the North East.