Whistling, ringing, ringing in the ears - the noises in the ears known as tinnitus can have many different causes. Almost everyone has experienced them at some time or another, fortunately in most cases only temporarily. However, if an acute ringing in the ears lasts longer than three months, it turns into subacute tinnitus and, if it lasts longer than six months, into chronic tinnitus - a severe burden for those affected.

Learn more about causes, types and treatment of tinnitus

From a medical point of view, tinnitus is a symptom and not an illness. The causes may include conditions such as inflammation of the middle ear, but in the vast majority of cases noise exposure or stress is the cause of the ringing in the ears. Accordingly, the treatment is primarily aimed at the symptom. However, for many of those affected, the continued exposure to the tinnitus has taken on the character of a disease. It is therefore important to learn how to live with tinnitus during the treatment. Here, the ENT physician and hearing aid acoustician are often helpful. 

Learn more about the types of tinnitus, the sound, the causes and treatment options on these pages.