Tinnitus Affects Millions of Americans, and Experts Say It Is Hard to Treat

Millions of Americans live with a constant ringing, hissing or humming in their ears. The condition is known as tinnitus, and for some people the sound never goes away.

The American Tinnitus Association says more than 50 million American adults experience tinnitus. For about 5 million of them, the condition is chronic.

Ken Seibert is one of those people. He has worn hearing aids for roughly 20 years, and the devices both amplify what he hears and help mask the unwanted noise his tinnitus produces. He compared the sound to air escaping from a tire and said it never lets up. "If you're listening to music, TV, anything, it can always be in the background of that," Seibert said.

Seibert said he has dealt with tinnitus for 30 years. Over that time he has tried supplements, hearing aids and acupuncture. Some approaches have helped, he said, but none has removed the sound entirely. "I've tried everything and I can't make it go away," he said. He added that the hearing aids help him "live a more wonderful life, if you will," though the sound remains in the background.

Goutham Gosu, a doctor of audiology, works with patients such as Seibert. He described tinnitus as "an unwanted sound that they're perceiving in the ear." Because the condition depends on what a patient reports, he said, it is hard to assess from a medical standpoint. "We just have to go by how they're explaining it," Gosu said.

Choosing a treatment depends on the underlying cause, which can be hard to pin down. Gosu said possible sources range from something as simple as earwax to hearing loss, blood pressure, jaw joint (TMJ) problems and dental issues, and in rarer cases an acoustic neuroma.

In many cases, though, the cause is unknown. The condition tends to be more common among people who work in loud settings, such as musicians and veterans. When there is no obvious explanation, as in Seibert's case, Gosu said treatment centers on managing the condition rather than curing it.

Gosu noted that everyone hears ringing in their ears at some point. He recommended getting checked if it happens often. "If you start noticing it like, you know, two or three times a week or something like that, there might be something going on," he said.

The report, produced by Aging Untold, is intended for educational purposes and is not medical advice. People with concerns about a medical condition are advised to consult a licensed physician or other qualified health provider.