Do you have a constant or occasional ringing / buzzing / whistling / humming or clicking in your ears? This is called tinnitus and you should definitely see your audiologist.

Possible Causes of Tinnitus

Excessive Wax

The audiologist will be able to identify excessive wax with an otoscopic examination.

Hearing Loss

In most cases tinnitus is associated with some form of hearing loss

Noise Exposure

Excessive noise exposure can lead to damage to the inner ear hair cells which leads to hearing loss.  Damage to the these hair cells can cause Tinnitus

Medication

Certain medications such as Aspirin can cause Tinnitus

Treatment Options for Tinnitus

Removal of Wax

Options of wax removal will be discussed and will depend on the status of the ear drum

Hearing Aids

In a lot of cases amplification alone on a hearing loss provides relieve of Tinnitus symptoms.

Hearing Aids are available which incorporates sound therapy for tinnitus. Different types of noises of chime-like sounds can be used with or without amplification to bring relief from tinnitus

Counselling

Use of hearing aids and sound therapy has to be accompanied by education, counselling and stress management. In some cases it might be beneficial to include professionals from other disciplines.