What does tinnitus sound like? Understanding what tinnitus sounds like can help you understand whether you have tinnitus or not. People's experience of tinnitus is very different from person to person. For one person tinnitus might manifest as a constant ringing and for another it might manifest as different sounds which vary in pitch and length. Tinnitus sounds are usually categorised into one of three types. Tonal, pulsatile or musical.
| Tonal Tinnitus | Pulsatile Tinnitus | Musical Tinnitus | |
| Sound Type | Tinnitus which is continuous in sound and has specific frequencies | Sounds like a heartbeat or pulse and is in rhythm with a person's heart | Sounds like one piece of music on a continuous loop |
| Tinnitus Category | Subjective tinnitus | Objective or somatic tinnitus | Musical Tinnitus |
| Causes | Hearing Loss, trauma, excessive noise exposure and stress | Changes in blood flow near the ears. Can be caused by cholesterol build up, tumours, blood vessel disorder & turbulent blood flow. | More prevalent in women than men. Associated with blood vessel disorders, brain tumours, Alzheimer's & epilepsy. |
| Tinnitus Sound | Ringing, hissing, whistling, buzzing, static, screeching | Pulsating sound | Any music that repeats itself |
Tonal Tinnitus
Tonal tinnitus is the most common type of tinnitus. It describes tinnitus which has definable tones. These tones may change in length and pitch and become mixed together. They can take the form of a specific tone, ringing, buzzing, whistling, static, screeching, hissing or roaring. Most people have experienced some form of tinnitus usually after being exposed to a noisy environment during a pop concert. Ringing in the ears might persist for a few hours or couple of days but usually subsides. However prolonged exposure to loud noise can make tinnitus more persistent usually because of permanent damage or hearing loss. Other leading causes of tonal tinnitus might include trauma, shock, stress or anything overwhelming.
Pulsatile Tinnitus
Pulsatile tinnitus describes the perception of sounds which are in rhythm with a person's heartbeat. This type of tinnitus is associated with objective or somatic tinnitus.
Pulsatile tinnitus sounds like a heartbeat or pulse. It is caused by problems with blood flow and muscle movements in the face or neck or near the ears. Pulsatile tinnitus is often associated with blood vessel disorders.
Musical Tinnitus
Musical tinnitus sounds like a specific piece of music which is on a continuous loop.
What tinnitus sounds like
Tinnitus 4000 Hz
Buzzing Tone
Screeching Tone
Teak Kettle Tone
Tinnitus 7500 Hz
Tinnitus Roaring Tone
Static Tone
Most people experience tinnitus at some point in their lives. Complaints of ears ringing after a loud concert are typical or an unexplained ringing which subsides only seconds after its arrival. It is when tinnitus symptoms persist that we can become irritated by them. At this point tinnitus can become problematic tinnitus. This simply means that is has become a problem and starts to affect our lives in a negative way.
Individuals experience tinnitus in a number of different ways due to a number of different interpretation factors. These range from age, outlook on life and circumstances surrounding their tinnitus. The way it affects their lives therefore also differs. They might experience problems with concentration, sleeping, depression or anxiety. Because of this there are different tinnitus solutions for different people.