{
  "id": "tinnitus",
  "title": "Tinnitus",
  "lang": "en",
  "source_lang": "en",
  "summary": "Tinnitus is the perception of sound without an external source, often associated with hearing loss and sometimes affecting sleep, concentration, and emotional well-being.",
  "category": "health",
  "subcategory": "diseases",
  "type": "concept",
  "aliases": [
    "Ringing in the ears"
  ],
  "generated_at": "2026-10-09",
  "model": "pro/gpt-6.1-sol",
  "url": "https://aiwiki.page/en/tinnitus/",
  "translations": {
    "zh-Hans": {
      "url": "https://aiwiki.page/zh/tinnitus/",
      "json": "https://aiwiki.page/zh/tinnitus.json"
    }
  },
  "sections": [
    {
      "heading": "",
      "text": "Tinnitus is the perception of ringing, buzzing, roaring, or other sounds in the ears or head without a corresponding external sound source. It is often associated with hearing loss or noise exposure. (nidcd.nih.gov)"
    },
    {
      "heading": "Forms and characteristics",
      "text": "Tinnitus may affect one ear, both ears, or seem to originate within the head. It can be intermittent or continuous, with varying pitch and loudness. Most cases are subjective, meaning only the affected person perceives the sound. Rare objective cases involve internally generated sounds that an examiner can detect. Pulsatile tinnitus has a rhythmic quality, often synchronized with the heartbeat; pulsatile and objective tinnitus are not interchangeable terms. Head or neck movements can sometimes change tinnitus, a feature described as somatosensory tinnitus. (nidcd.nih.gov)"
    },
    {
      "heading": "Associated conditions and mechanisms",
      "text": "Tinnitus is strongly associated with hearing loss, although not everyone with hearing loss develops it. Other associations include earwax blockage, ear infections, head or neck injuries, and certain medications. Some vascular disorders can produce pulsatile tinnitus. These associations do not establish a single cause for every case. (nidcd.nih.gov)\n\nLoud noise can damage sensory structures in the inner ear and cause both hearing loss and tinnitus. Exposure may involve a sudden intense sound or repeated occupational or recreational noise. Noise-related tinnitus may subside or persist. (nidcd.nih.gov)\n\nThe mechanisms of subjective tinnitus remain incompletely understood. A leading explanation involves altered auditory signals following inner-ear damage and changes in sound-processing networks in the brain. Interactions with networks involved in attention and emotion may also contribute. (nidcd.nih.gov)"
    },
    {
      "heading": "Clinical assessment",
      "text": "Clinical assessment examines the sound’s duration, laterality, rhythmic character, associated symptoms, and effects on everyday functioning. Hearing assessment is an important component. Questionnaires such as the Tinnitus Functional Index measure impact rather than directly verifying the perceived sound. Assessment may also address sleep disturbance, depression, and anxiety. (nice.org.uk)\n\nImaging is selective rather than routine. NICE guidance distinguishes pulsatile tinnitus, unilateral or asymmetric tinnitus, and tinnitus accompanied by neurological or ear-related abnormalities from symmetrical non-pulsatile tinnitus without additional findings. Magnetic resonance imaging or other imaging may investigate particular suspected causes. Sudden hearing loss or acute neurological symptoms change the urgency of clinical assessment. (nice.org.uk)"
    },
    {
      "heading": "Management and evidence",
      "text": "Management distinguishes treatment of an identifiable cause from reduction of tinnitus-related distress. Information, discussion of the individual’s difficulties, and assessment of hearing needs are established components of care. Hearing aids are used when hearing loss coexists; their role differs from that of sound generators intended specifically for tinnitus. Evidence for particular sound-therapy approaches remains insufficient to establish a consistently superior method. (nice.org.uk)\n\nCognitive behavioral therapy addresses emotional and behavioral responses to tinnitus rather than necessarily eliminating the sound. A Cochrane review found low- to moderate-certainty evidence that it can reduce tinnitus’s negative impact on quality of life at the end of treatment. Evidence about longer-term effects was limited. Improvement in distress therefore should not be equated with disappearance of the auditory perception. (cochrane.org)\n\nThere is no universal cure. Medications may address associated sleep or mood problems rather than tinnitus itself, and vitamin or herbal supplements have not been established as effective treatments. The course varies: tinnitus may improve, disappear, or persist. (nidcd.nih.gov)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    "hearing-loss",
    "brain",
    "diagnosis",
    "insomnia",
    "depression",
    "anxiety-disorders",
    "magnetic-resonance-imaging",
    "cognitive-behavioral-therapy",
    "quality-of-life"
  ],
  "sources": [
    {
      "title": "Tinnitus | NIDCD",
      "url": "https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/glossary/tinnitus"
    },
    {
      "title": "What Is Tinnitus? — Causes and Treatment | NIDCD",
      "url": "https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/tinnitus"
    },
    {
      "title": "Noise-Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL) | NIDCD",
      "url": "https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/noise-induced-hearing-loss"
    },
    {
      "title": "Recommendations — Tinnitus: assessment and management | NICE",
      "url": "https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng155/chapter/Recommendations"
    },
    {
      "title": "Rationale and impact — Tinnitus: assessment and management | NICE",
      "url": "https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng155/chapter/Rationale-and-impact"
    },
    {
      "title": "Cognitive behavioural therapy for adults with tinnitus | Cochrane",
      "url": "https://www.cochrane.org/evidence/CD012614_chengnianermingzhederenzhixingweiliaofa"
    }
  ],
  "license": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"
}