Tinnitus: When Ringing in Your Ears Needs a Visit
Ringing in the ears is common and usually harmless, but some causes are fixable and a few are urgent. Here's how to tell which is which.
Ringing, buzzing or hissing in the ears (tinnitus) is very common, and most of the time it comes from noise exposure or age-related hearing changes rather than anything dangerous. It's worth a visit when it's new, only in one ear, comes with hearing loss, dizziness or ear pain, or started after a head injury. Some causes, like a plug of ear wax or an ear infection, can be treated in a single visit.
What is tinnitus?
Tinnitus is hearing a sound that isn't coming from outside you. People describe it as ringing, buzzing, humming, hissing, clicking or a heartbeat-like whooshing. It can be constant or come and go, and it may be in one ear or both.
Common causes
- Loud noise: a concert, power tools or shooting can cause ringing that fades in hours to days. Repeated exposure can make it permanent.
- Ear wax buildup: wax pressed against the eardrum can cause ringing, fullness and muffled hearing.
- Ear infection or fluid behind the eardrum, often after a cold.
- Age-related hearing loss, which often comes with a steady high-pitched tone.
- Medicines: high doses of aspirin and some antibiotics, diuretics and chemotherapy drugs.
- Jaw (TMJ) problems and neck tension.
- Pressure changes: flying or driving up into the mountains can leave ears feeling plugged and ringing for a while.
Ringing in the ears with dizziness
Ringing together with dizziness or a spinning feeling can come from an inner ear problem, such as inner ear inflammation or Ménière's disease, and it deserves an exam. Our post on vertigo covers the spinning side of things.
What helps
- Treating the cause: removing impacted wax, treating an infection, or changing a medicine with your prescriber
- Protecting your hearing with earplugs around loud noise
- Background sound, like a fan or white-noise app, especially at night
- Limiting caffeine, alcohol and nicotine if they make it worse
At AfterOurs, a clinician can look in your ears, check for wax, infection or fluid, and irrigate impacted wax at the same visit. Our post on ear wax buildup and irrigation explains how that works.
When to get seen
Come in if ringing is new and hasn't faded after a few days, is only in one ear, or comes with ear pain, drainage, fullness, muffled hearing or dizziness. A standard self-pay visit is $175, and a self-pay in-clinic visit never costs more than $330. We contract with all major commercial and government plans, including Colorado Medicaid and Medicare. See our tinnitus page and the cost and insurance page.
Go to the ER or call 911 if you have sudden hearing loss in one ear, ringing after a head injury, ringing with a severe headache, weakness or numbness on one side, trouble speaking, or a change in vision. Sudden hearing loss is time-sensitive, so get seen the same day.
Where to find us
Four clinics across metro Denver, all ages welcome, se habla español:
- Hampden (Southeast Denver): 8 AM–11 PM daily
- Littleton: 8 AM–11 PM daily
- Thornton: 8 AM–11 PM daily
- Highlands: Mon–Fri 5–11 PM, Sat–Sun 8 AM–11 PM
Walk in, or book online.
Medically reviewed by Peter Martinuzzi, MD
This article is general health information, not medical advice for your situation. If you are worried, come in or book a telehealth visit — and if it is an emergency, call 911.