Ringing In Your Ear? Tinnitus Management Tips

Author: Amanda Deveney
Published: September 08, 2016
Last reviewed by: Marta Silva
Last reviewed: February 02, 2026

Some people experience noises, such as buzzing or ringing, in their ears or head that seems to come from nowhere. Others may hear a combination of sounds such as chirping and whistling. These sensations are known as tinnitus.

What is Tinnitus?

Tinnitus is any sound in your head or ears for which there is no external source. It’s thought to be linked to changes in the inner ear - particularly the cochlea’s hair cells - and/or the nerves that support hearing.  In most cases, the more you focus on the tinnitus sounds, the more noticeable it can feel, which creates a cycle that makes it harder to ignore. 

Tinnitus isn’t an illness in itself. Tinnitus is a symptom that can appear after some major life changes, illness, ear infection, head injury, increased stress, or age‑related hearing loss (presbycusis). 

Many of us would've experienced a temporary tinnitus- a ringing sound in your ears from a bad cold, or being exposed to loud music at a concert.

Tinnitus can occur at any age, and can range from mild to more persistent. It often sounds like a high-pitched noise and may become worse when background noise is low, for example at night. It may also be related to your posture; you might hear sounds when you’re lying down or when you turn your head suddenly. Often tinnitus comes and goes, and while it can be only a mild annoyance for many, more severe or long‑lasting tinnitus may interfere with concentration or sleep.

What you can do

For the reasons explained above, there is no cure for tinnitus, but there are many ways to reduce its impact and improve your comfort:

  • Leightons offers a tinnitus consultation service, where our expert audiologists can help you find ways to manage your tinnitus that best suit you and your lifestyle.
  • Since temporary tinnitus can be linked to a wide variety of underlying problems (such as an ear infection, illness, or stress), sometimes addressing the issue may resolve it once that is treated.
  • A buildup of earwax can also trigger tinnitus. Leightons provide a wax removal service, carried out by fully-trained audiologists, to help treat this.
  • Listening to gentle background sounds - like rain, ocean waves, soft music, or even the radio - can make tinnitus less noticeable, especially in quiet environments. Your audiologist will be able to advise on sound therapy and relaxation techniques. 
  • If tinnitus is related to hearing loss, modern hearing aids include built‑in tinnitus management features. These allow you to have calming sounds or noise options that help reduce your awareness of tinnitus while improving overall hearing comfort. Your audiologist will be able to guide you through this when you attend a consultation with us. Oticon hearing aids offer some of the best tinnitus relief on the market and can also be connected to your phone (via a streamer). Some digital hearing aids, from ReSound or Starkey even allow you to control and personalise your tinnitus relief via a smartphone app.

We’re with you every step of the way

If you or someone you know is suffering with tinnitus and would like friendly help and advice on how best to manage it, come and visit us for a tinnitus consultation. Our audiologist will be able to diagnose the cause of the tinnitus and suggest the most appropriate next steps to take, whether your tinnitus is related to hearing loss or an entirely separate condition.

You can book an appointment online, call us on 0800 40 20 20 or visit your nearest branch.

You may also like

Group of adults socializing and enjoying drinks together at an outdoor evening gathering with string lights and food on the table.
How do hearing amplifiers work?
Hearing amplification devices increase the volume and might make it easier for you to hear sounds louder. Yet they not a prescribed product and do not match your individual needs. Hearing loss is extremely common – millions of people in the UK live with a hearing loss, so you’re not alone. At Leightons Opticians & Hearing Care, our expert audiologists will help you identify the best device for you, in most cases this is a Hearing Aid. What is a hearing amplifier? Much like a tiny PA system, hearing amplification devices use microphones to capture and amplify all sounds around you, before delivering it to your ear at an adequate and audible volume level. What kind of devices are available? There are plenty of hearing amplifiers designed to help you while on the telephone, watching TV, and for in-person conversations. However, these devices amplify all sounds equally and aren’t designed to support hearing loss. For an all‑round solution that adapts to your personal hearing needs, a hearing aid is often the most effective option. Our expert audiologists can assess your hearing and guide you towards the most suitable hearing aid for your lifestyle and needs. What’s the difference between a hearing aid and a hearing amplifier? All hearing aids use amplification, however, hearing aids are regulated medical devices carefully programmed and tailored to fit the hearing loss of a particular individual. This makes them more suitable for moderate to severe hearing loss. Hearing amplifiers are not medical devices and are not designed to diagnose, treat or manage hearing loss. They don’t adapt to your individual needs, meaning they offer volume without improving clarity or understanding. What are induction loops? An induction loop is an older technology system designed to help hearing aid users to hear more clearly in some specific environments. You’ll often find them in places like meeting rooms, theatres, banks, and cinemas.  Here’s how it works:  A thin cable is installed around a room or designated listening area  The system creates a magnetic field that carries speech or important sound  When you switch your hearing aid or ALDs to the T (telecoil) setting, you can hear the sound closer to you and more clear with less background noise  Induction loops can make a huge difference to day‑to‑day listening comfort. Our audiologists can help you understand how loops - and other assistive listening devices - can work with Hearing Aids.  What is Auracast? Auracast is a new Bluetooth audio technology designed to make listening more inclusive. It allows one device to broadcast high-quality sound to multiple compatible hearing aids, earbuds, or headphones at the same time, without the need for pairing. Developed with the hearing aid industry for assistive listening, Auracast could mean easier access to shared audio in public spaces such as train stations and lecture theatres. For people with hearing loss, it’s a positive step towards clearer sound and greater confidence in everyday situations. Leightons free hearing test Leightons Opticians & Hearing Care offers a free hearing test in all branches. We provide a comprehensive hearing check carried out by our experts – professionally trained hearing aid audiologists registered with the HCPC (Health & Care Professions Council), with some even members of the British Society of Hearing Aid Audiologists. Book your free hearing test now You can book an appointment online or you can call us on 0800 40 20 20 to arrange a free hearing test at your nearest Leightons branch. Alternatively, you can take the test at home. This involves the same experienced, professional audiologist you would see in branch coming to your home to carry out your hearing test with specialist portable equipment.
Learn more
Right Arrow
Navigation Previous
Navigation Next