How Can I Cope With Tinnitus?

A doctor’s advice for living with and treating that constant ringing in your ears

Adam Rosenbluth, M.D.,

AARP

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Published March 31, 2025

Doctor, what I can do about this annoying ringing in my ears?

I’m working with a patient now who is dealing with tinnitus; a condition that's also called ringing in the ears. He hears ringing sounds that interrupt his daytime activities and keeps him wide awake at night. Honestly, it has been driving him crazy. If you have this problem too, you know what he’s going through. You might also be hearing buzzing, hissing, whistling, humming, even sizzling, yet there’s no outside source making these irritating sounds.

Tinnitus is a common condition among older Americans. It's estimated that one in five people over the age of 50 is dealing with this issue. One likely cause is age-related hearing loss. Other tinnitus triggers include frequent exposure to loud noises, the buildup of earwax, and certain common medications such as high blood pressure drugs, antidepressants and antibiotics. Health conditions like diabetes, hypertension and heart disease can also be a factor. But the most frequent reason among my patients is damage that was caused by an ear infection from viral illnesses such as COVID or the flu.

First and foremost, if you think you’re experiencing tinnitus, you need a doctor ASAP to confirm what’s going on. It’s a good idea to make an appointment with a type of specialist called an otolaryngologist. The sooner your condition is treated, the less likely there will be intensive damage.

Still, a tinnitus diagnosis can be disappointing news because there is no cure. There are, however, treatments your doctor can suggest that may help make your symptoms less severe. Finding the most effective approach is often a matter of trial and error.

When people have this condition, it’s usually most disturbing at night because that’s when the room is quiet, and the ringing grabs their full attention. Sleep disturbances caused by tinnitus can lead to other health problems. I can’t emphasize enough the importance of a good night’s sleep. Without it, your physical health, including your immune system and your heart, as well as your mental wellbeing and cognitive abilities, can be negatively affected.

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Desperate for sleep, my patient went to several specialists and tried different treatments, including a hearing aid designed specifically for tinnitus. Sometimes, you can mask the noise with a sound machine, and this device helped him a bit. I suggested a drug treatment for his condition. Although there aren’t any specific medications approved by the FDA for tinnitus, several off-label drugs that work with the neurologic system have been shown to be helpful for some people. We tried this approach, and about a week later, he phoned my office. “I’m sleeping! I feel so much better!” he told me in a cheerful voice.

But I want to be clear. He isn’t cured. I’d say he’s about 20 percent better and continuing to sleep through the night. I’m hoping we can improve his treatment by using other approaches to help dim the ringing sounds.

One is called Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT), which is a combination of counseling and sound therapy. The aim is to help folks become less conscious of the ringing. Relaxation techniques and training people to change how they respond to their tinnitus through Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) may also help. If your tinnitus is the result of age-related hearing loss, hearing aids will offer relief in some cases. There are a number of new treatments in the works as well, so don’t give up hope for relief.

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The truth is that when it comes to tinnitus, we have no sure idea about what will help. That’s why I suggest to my patients who have this diagnosis that they look at it as a journey rather than a condition that has a beginning and an end. I encourage you to stay open to exploring different treatments. Although achieving lasting silence may be unlikely, chances are you can reach some level of relief.