Whatstack

Guide

Tinnitus.

What it is (usually the brain, not the ear), when a sound is a red flag, the treatments that genuinely help (CBT, hearing aids, sound), the honest state of drugs and neuromodulation — and every lever to make it matter less.

Contents

  1. 01What tinnitus actually isTinnitus is sound you hear that has no outside source — ringing, buzzing, hissing, a…
  2. 02The types & what causes itTinnitus is one word for many different things, and sorting which kind you have is the…
  3. 03Why it torments some and not othersHere's the puzzle at the heart of tinnitus: two people can have an identical sound, and one…
  4. 04When to see a doctorMost tinnitus needs no scan and no specialist — but a short list of patterns genuinely…
  5. 05The workup: what to expectA good tinnitus assessment is mostly about your hearing, not the noise itself. The point is…
  6. 06The honest truth: no cure, real helpLet's be straight before the toolkit: there is no pill or procedure that reliably erases…
  7. 07The best-evidenced treatment: CBTIf tinnitus is a distress loop, the treatment with the strongest evidence is the one that…
  8. 08Sound therapy & hearing aidsThe second pillar is sound — both correcting the hearing loss that sits underneath most…
  9. 09Retraining therapy & counsellingBefore the fancy devices, the humble pairing of good education and everyday sound has its…
  10. 10Drugs: the honest stateHere's a fact that surprises everyone: there is no drug approved anywhere to treat tinnitus…
  11. 11Neuromodulation: the real frontierIf there's genuine forward motion in tinnitus, it's here — retraining the brain's auditory…
  12. 12What's coming (and what failed)The tinnitus research graveyard is full of Phase 2 failures, and honesty demands naming…
  13. 13Protect your hearingEverything else in this guide helps you live with tinnitus. This is the one lever that…
  14. 14Sleep, stress & the nervous systemTinnitus and your nervous system feed each other: stress and bad sleep make it louder in…
  15. 15Diet, triggers & somatic tinnitusTwo honest corrections here. The famous 'cut out caffeine and salt' advice is mostly a myth…
  16. 16Supplements: graded hardTinnitus desperation is a goldmine for the supplement industry, and almost none of what it…
  17. 17Putting it togetherThe whole guide in one arc: rule out the red flags, correct the hearing underneath it…
  18. 18Sources & how to read the evidenceThis guide was built from the primary literature — clinical guidelines, Cochrane reviews…
Educational reference — not medical advice. This summarises published research and clinical guidance. Act on the red flags urgently — sudden hearing loss is an emergency — get properly assessed with a hearing test, and never start, stop, or change any medication on your own. Decide anything here with a qualified clinician.