Tinnitus Awareness Week: What You Need to Know

Published: February 01, 2021
Last reviewed by: Leightons Clinical Team
Last reviewed: January 27, 2026

Around 7.5 million people in the UK [1] and more than 740 million people worldwide experience some form of tinnitus [2]. Even children as young as ten have been reported to show symptoms. 

This is why Tinnitus Awareness Week plays such an important role. Held each year at the beginning of February, it helps shine a light on a condition that is often invisible but deeply impactful. The week aims to raise understanding, encourage people to seek support, and highlight the many ways tinnitus can be managed, helping those affected feel heard, supported and less alone. 

 

Tinnitus symptoms 

Tinnitus is often described as a ringing in the ears, but it can also sound like rushing, clicking, humming, buzzing or other sounds that have no external source. If you’ve ever left a loud concert or nightclub and noticed a temporary ringing or rushing noise, you’ve experienced a short-lived form of tinnitus. 

Symptoms may come and go, but persistent tinnitus can lead to sleep difficulties, concentration problems, stress, and anxiety. 

 

What causes tinnitus? 

The exact causes of tinnitus aren’t fully understood, but it’s widely considered a symptom rather than a condition in itself. Common causes include: 

  • Hearing loss is the most common underlying factor in tinnitus, with around two‑thirds of people who experience tinnitus also having some degree of hearing loss [3]. When hearing ability is reduced, everyday sounds that would normally mask internal noises are no longer detected, making tinnitus more noticeable. 

  • Regular exposure to loud noises, typically sounds above 85 decibels, such as a food blender or lawnmower, can damage the tiny hair cells inside the cochlea. This damage is a common cause of tinnitus. It’s why many musicians experience tinnitus, including Chris Martin, Phil Collins and Eric Clapton. Encouragingly, more and more younger musicians are now choosing to wear hearing protections. 

  • A build-up of earwax can also cause or worsen tinnitus.When wax blocks the ear canal, it reduces the ability to hear external sounds, making the internal sound of tinnitus seem more noticeable [4]. Clearing excess earwax can help reduce symptoms, and we recommend having wax professionally removed rather than using home remedies. 

  • Other medical factors can trigger tinnitus too. These include stress, certain medications, ear infections, ear or head injuries, neurological conditions, metabolic disorders such as diabetes, and inner‑ear conditions like Meniere's disease. 

 

Why Tinnitus Awareness Week matters 

The Tinnitus Awareness Week plays a vital role in highlighting this invisible and often misunderstood condition. Tinnitus is closely linked with mental wellbeing [5], and for some people it can become frustrating, isolating, and even lead to depression. 

The week aims to raise awareness, improve understanding, and emphasise the importance of providing compassionate, comprehensive care for those affected. 

 

How can you treat or manage tinnitus? 

There is currently no cure, but there are many effective ways to manage tinnitus and reduce its impact. 

Hearing aids for tinnitus 

Most modern hearing aids, including models from Oticon, Starkey, and ReSound, include tinnitus management features. These can play soothing sounds such as birdsong, soft chimes or gentle music to help mask tinnitus. Many also allow personalisation through a companion smartphone app. 

Professional earwax removal  

If you regularly experience wax build-up, seeing your hearing clinician for routine earwax removal can be an important part of managing tinnitus. 

Therapeutic approaches 

  • Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) helps you change unhelpful thoughts and feelings linked to tinnitus. By managing stress and reframing the way you respond to the sound, tinnitus often becomes far less intrusive [6]. 

  • Sound Enrichment Therapy takes a similar approach to the hearing aid. Having a gentle background sounds, like rain, ocean waves or soft white noise, help reduce the contrast between silence and tinnitus. This can make the sound feel calmer, especially when relaxing or trying to sleep. 

  • Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT) combines personalised counselling with sound therapy. Over time, it trains your brain to pay less attention to tinnitus, helping it fade into the background of everyday life. [6]. 

 

Tinnitus prevention 

Modern life can be noisy, so taking steps to protect your hearing is one of the best ways to reduce your risk of tinnitus. 

Our audiologists recommend using hearing protection at loud events, when working with noisy machinery, or even when swimming in cold water. Specialist earplugs protect your hearing while maintaining a natural sound experience. 

If you often use headphones, for music, gaming or work, consider custom‑moulded in‑ear monitors. They offer exceptional sound quality, reduce ambient noise by up to 26 decibels, and allow you to listen at safer volumes without losing clarity. 

 

Conclusion 

Living with tinnitus can be challenging, but you don’t have to face it alone. Whether your symptoms are occasional or persistent, support is available, and small steps can make a meaningful difference to your comfort and wellbeing. 

Tinnitus Awareness Week is a reminder of how important it is to talk openly about tinnitus, seek help early, and make sure everyone can access the right support. If you’re concerned about tinnitus, or simply want to protect your hearing for the future, we’ve created a detailed guide that explains what tinnitus is and how it’s diagnosed. 

If you’re ready to take the next step, you can also learn more about our tinnitus management service and how we can help you live life to the fullest, with confidence in your hearing health. 

 

 

Sources: 

[1] Tinnitus UK (n.d.) Our vision. https://tinnitus.org.uk/what-we-do/our-vision/ (Accessed: 26 January 2026). 

[2] Chung, D.Y., Han, S. & Lee, H. (2022). Tinnitus: From mechanisms to treatments. Journal of Clinical Neurology. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9361184/ (Accessed: 26 January 2026). 

[3] RNID (2018) Understanding tinnitus. https://rnid.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Understanding-tinnitus-screen-res-LP-2018.pdf (Accessed: 26 January 2026). 

[4] Tinnitus UK (n.d.) Tinnitus and ear wax. https://tinnitus.org.uk/understanding-tinnitus/living-with-tinnitus/tinnitus-and-ear-wax/ (Accessed: 26 January 2026).  

Chan, H.B.Y., Low, D., Yuen, H.W. & How, C.H. (2020) Tinnitus – ringing in the ears. Singapore Medical Journal, 61(9), pp. 448–452. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7927175/ (Accessed: 26 January 2026). 

[5] Hackenberg, B., Döge, J., O’Brien, K., Bohnert, A., Lackner, K.J., Beutel, M.E., Michal, M., Münzel, T., Wild, P.S., Pfeiffer, N., Schulz, A., Schmidtmann, I., Matthias, C. & Bahr, K. (2023) Tinnitus and its relation to depression, anxiety, and stress – A population‑based cohort study. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 12(3), p.1169. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9917824/ (Accessed: 26 January 2026). 

[6] Gaertner, D.J., Riley, L.K. & Martin, D.G. (1998) Reflections on future needs in research with animals. ILAR Journal, 39(4), pp. 306–315. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11528090/ (Accessed: 26 January 2026). 

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