Tinnitus | De KNO Praktijk Nijmegen

Cause and treatment of sounds you hear in one or both ears, without any sound coming from outside.

De KNO Praktijk Nijmegen ENT care Throat & voice Coughing Lump in the throat Swallowing difficulties Tonsillitis Voice complaints Nose & sinuses Loss of smell Nasal congestion Nasal polyps Sinusitis Ears & hearing Ear infection Earache Earwax Hearing loss Tinnitus Focus areas Allergy Sleep & snoring The practice For referrers Contact Request a referral NL EN DE Home / Ears & hearing / Tinnitus This page about ears and hearing is still in development. The content is provisional and may change. Ear Tinnitus Cause and treatment of sounds you hear in one or both ears, without any sound coming from outside. Request a referral Treatment On this page What is tinnitus? Associated symptoms Cause Treatment Your care pathway Frequently asked questions The complaint in short What is tinnitus? Tinnitus is also called ringing in the ears. You experience tinnitus when you perceive sounds in one or both ears. This sound is not caused by an external sound and other people cannot hear it. Tinnitus comes in all shapes and sizes. You may hear a very faint sound, but the ringing can also be very loud. It can be a hiss, but also a humming or whistling sound. It can be a high or low tone, and it can come and go, or be constant. It can also be a combination of all of this. How much of a nuisance tinnitus causes depends entirely on the severity of the tinnitus and how well you can cope with it. Even a soft sound can have a big impact on how you feel. Tinnitus is a condition that should not be underestimated, and can greatly affect quality of life. Associated symptoms If you suffer from tinnitus, you may also experience Fatigue Stress Sleep problems Concentration problems Memory problems Depression Anxiety Headache Cause What causes tinnitus? Tinnitus can have many causes. The most common are: Hearing loss Ear infection or ear canal blockage Head or neck injury Medication Less commonly, tinnitus is caused by: Ménière's disease Eustachian tube dysfunction Otosclerosis Muscle spasms in the inner ear Tumour in the head and neck area Vascular disorder Besides the causes above, there are also several risk factors that increase the chance of tinnitus: Exposure to loud noise Age Alcohol use Smoking Obesity High blood pressure Treatment What treatments are there for tinnitus? To determine whether and which treatment is possible, the cause is investigated first. Sometimes no cause can be found. The doctor first asks questions about your symptoms and medical history. Sometimes the cause can already be identified this way. In addition, your ears are examined, for example with a hearing test. Sometimes there is reason for further investigation, such as a CT scan, MRI or blood test. Treatment depends on the cause. Treating the underlying cause can reduce the symptoms. Removing earwax Fitting a hearing aid that suppresses sounds or makes them less noticeable Adjusting medication Therapy to help you cope with the tinnitus Would you like to know more about tinnitus, or the latest developments? Visit the website of Stichting Hoormij . What you can expect Your care pathway Your GP refers you; we schedule a first conversation about your tinnitus. The ENT doctor asks how the tinnitus presents and what impact it has on you. We examine your ears and hearing, and if needed carry out further investigation into the cause. We discuss the options, tailored to the cause, and guide you in coping with the symptoms. Who treats you One consistent ENT doctor throughout your care You are guided personally, from first consultation through treatment. dr. Anne-Martine de Heer ENT doctor BIG 19066557501 Frequently asked questions Frequently asked questions {{ f.q }} {{ f.sign }} {{ f.a }} Make an appointment Have you had tinnitus for a while? For an appointment at De KNO Praktijk Nijmegen you need a referral from your GP. Discuss your symptoms with your GP; they assess whether a referral is needed. With the referral, you contact us and we schedule your consultation. Get in touch Other ear complaints How to arrange a referral Discuss your symptoms with your GP Your GP assesses whether a referral is needed Get in touch to schedule your consultation De KNO Praktijk Nijmegen Personal, specialist care in Nijmegen and the surrounding area. Feedback & complaints Privacy notice © 2026 De KNO Praktijk Nijmegen · KvK 68663137 · AGB 22221372
Logo De KNO Praktijk NijmegenDe KNO Praktijk Nijmegen
NL EN DE
Home / Ears & hearing / Tinnitus
This page about ears and hearing is still in development. The content is provisional and may change.
Ear

Tinnitus

Cause and treatment of sounds you hear in one or both ears, without any sound coming from outside.

Request a referral Treatment
The complaint in short

What is tinnitus?

Tinnitus is also called ringing in the ears. You experience tinnitus when you perceive sounds in one or both ears. This sound is not caused by an external sound and other people cannot hear it.

Tinnitus comes in all shapes and sizes. You may hear a very faint sound, but the ringing can also be very loud. It can be a hiss, but also a humming or whistling sound. It can be a high or low tone, and it can come and go, or be constant. It can also be a combination of all of this.

How much of a nuisance tinnitus causes depends entirely on the severity of the tinnitus and how well you can cope with it. Even a soft sound can have a big impact on how you feel. Tinnitus is a condition that should not be underestimated, and can greatly affect quality of life.

Associated symptoms

If you suffer from tinnitus, you may also experience

Fatigue
Stress
Sleep problems
Concentration problems
Memory problems
Depression
Anxiety
Headache
Cause

What causes tinnitus?

Tinnitus can have many causes. The most common are:

  • Hearing loss
  • Ear infection or ear canal blockage
  • Head or neck injury
  • Medication

Less commonly, tinnitus is caused by:

  • Ménière's disease
  • Eustachian tube dysfunction
  • Otosclerosis
  • Muscle spasms in the inner ear
  • Tumour in the head and neck area
  • Vascular disorder

Besides the causes above, there are also several risk factors that increase the chance of tinnitus:

  • Exposure to loud noise
  • Age
  • Alcohol use
  • Smoking
  • Obesity
  • High blood pressure
Treatment

What treatments are there for tinnitus?

To determine whether and which treatment is possible, the cause is investigated first. Sometimes no cause can be found.

The doctor first asks questions about your symptoms and medical history. Sometimes the cause can already be identified this way. In addition, your ears are examined, for example with a hearing test. Sometimes there is reason for further investigation, such as a CT scan, MRI or blood test.

Treatment depends on the cause. Treating the underlying cause can reduce the symptoms.

Removing earwax

Fitting a hearing aid that suppresses sounds or makes them less noticeable

Adjusting medication

Therapy to help you cope with the tinnitus

Would you like to know more about tinnitus, or the latest developments? Visit the website of Stichting Hoormij.

What you can expect

Your care pathway

Your GP refers you; we schedule a first conversation about your tinnitus. The ENT doctor asks how the tinnitus presents and what impact it has on you. We examine your ears and hearing, and if needed carry out further investigation into the cause. We discuss the options, tailored to the cause, and guide you in coping with the symptoms.
Who treats you

One consistent ENT doctor throughout your care

You are guided personally, from first consultation through treatment.

dr. Anne-Martine de HeerENT doctor
BIG 19066557501
Frequently asked questions

Frequently asked questions

{{ f.a }}
Make an appointment

Have you had tinnitus for a while?

For an appointment at De KNO Praktijk Nijmegen you need a referral from your GP. Discuss your symptoms with your GP; they assess whether a referral is needed. With the referral, you contact us and we schedule your consultation.

Get in touch Other ear complaints
How to arrange a referral
    Discuss your symptoms with your GP Your GP assesses whether a referral is needed Get in touch to schedule your consultation