Tinnitus: Causes, Treatments, and What You Can Do About It

When your ears ring, buzz, or hum with no external sound, you’re experiencing tinnitus, a condition where you hear noise without an outside source, often linked to hearing damage or medication side effects. Also known as ringing in the ears, it affects over 15% of people globally and isn’t a disease itself—but a symptom pointing to something else. Many assume it’s just part of aging, but that’s not always true. Tinnitus can show up after loud concerts, ear infections, head injuries, or even from common pills like high-dose aspirin or certain antibiotics.

It often ties closely to hearing loss, a decline in the ability to detect sound, especially in higher frequencies, which frequently coexists with tinnitus. When your inner ear hair cells get damaged, your brain tries to compensate by creating noise—this is one of the leading theories behind why tinnitus happens. Some people also notice it gets worse when they take ototoxic medications, drugs that can harm the inner ear or auditory nerve, including some antibiotics, diuretics, and pain relievers. For example, furosemide (Lasix) and certain chemotherapy drugs like cyclophosphamide have been linked to temporary or lasting tinnitus in sensitive individuals.

What helps? It depends on the root cause. If it’s from earwax buildup, cleaning it out might fix everything. If it’s tied to high blood pressure or stress, managing those can reduce the noise. Sound therapy—using white noise machines or even fans at night—can train your brain to ignore the ringing. Some people find relief with supplements like magnesium or zinc, though evidence is mixed. There’s no magic pill, but real progress is being made in neuromodulation and cognitive behavioral therapy tailored for tinnitus.

You’ll find posts here that dig into how drugs like statins, antidepressants, and even cholesterol meds like cholestyramine might influence ear health. Some explore how diet, electrolyte balance, and gut health connect to symptoms. Others compare treatments—from over-the-counter options to emerging therapies. This isn’t about quick fixes. It’s about understanding what’s really going on inside your ears and what steps actually move the needle.