What is tinnitus?

Tinnitus is the perception of sound in your ears or head when there is no external source to this sound. Tinnitus can be in one ear, both ears or may be perceived in your head, and can arise at any age. It's estimated that approximately 10% of the population experience tinnitus (source: British Tinnitus Association website). Tinnitus can range from an occasional irritation to a serious problem that can be very troublesome, sometimes severely reducing quality of life for the sufferer.

At the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Audiology Centre, we have well-developed experience and expertise in helping patients with tinnitus.  Audiologists with particular skills carefully assess each patient's problem and design individual treatment plans.

How to access our tinnitus service

You can ask your GP for a referral to our "Choose and Book" tinnitus clinic or your GP may feel that a referral to the Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) department may be more appropriate.

How can we help?

There are many different management strategies which we can use to develop an appropriate individual plan to help manage your tinnitus. Management options include providing information, using sound generators, fitting hearing aids (if appropriate) and teaching relaxation techniques.