hear.here

Hear what tinnitus sounds like.

Tinnitus is hearing a sound that is not in the room. Nobody else can hear it, which can make it hard to explain. These examples give you an idea of what people with tinnitus hear.

For audiologists: play these in clinic, or send a link to a patient’s family so they can hear what it is like.

Turn your volume down first. Some of these sounds are high-pitched. Start low and stop if anything feels uncomfortable.

Eight sounds people describe

Each one plays for 20 seconds. Real tinnitus is different for everyone. Pitch, loudness and texture vary from person to person, and from day to day.

  • High-pitched ringing

    A thin, high tone that doesn’t fade, like the ringing after a loud concert. This is one of the most common ways people describe tinnitus.

  • Low hum

    A low, steady tone, like a fridge or an engine far away. Not all tinnitus is high-pitched.

  • Hissing

    A soft, constant hiss, like air leaving a tire or steam from a kettle.

  • Buzzing

    An electric buzz, like an old light fitting or a power line overhead.

  • Whooshing with the heartbeat

    A rhythmic whoosh that beats in time with the pulse. This is called pulsatile tinnitus. Anyone who hears this should have it checked by a doctor.

  • Cicadas

    A shimmering, chirping sound, like crickets or cicadas on a summer night that never goes quiet.

  • Static

    A rough, crackling static, like a radio stuck between stations.

  • More than one at once

    Many people hear more than one sound. Here, a high ring sits on top of a soft hiss.

How to explain tinnitus to someone who doesn’t have it

  1. Play them the closest sound.

    Pick the example nearest to yours and let them listen. Then tell them that yours doesn’t stop when the 20 seconds are up.

  2. Use a comparison they know.

    “It’s like the ringing after a loud concert, except it is still there the next morning.”

  3. Say when it is hardest.

    Many people notice it most in quiet rooms, at bedtime, or when they are tired or stressed. Saying so helps others understand why some moments are harder than others.

  4. Tell them it’s real.

    Nobody else can hear it, but the sound is real to the person hearing it. It is not imagined.

  5. Tell them what helps from them.

    Maybe it’s “believe me”, or “ask how I am, not how loud it is today”. People who care often want to help but don’t know how.

See a doctor promptly if tinnitus starts suddenly with hearing loss, is in one ear only, or pulses in time with your heartbeat. When to get help, at tinnitus.here.

If you hear something like this and it won’t go away, start here.

Start here at tinnitus.here

Is your volume down?

Some of these sounds are high-pitched. Start with your volume low. Each sound plays for 20 seconds, then stops by itself.