Tinnitus Treatment: What Works, What Doesn't and When to Get Help

This tinnitus treatment guide is built from the NIDCD tinnitus page, the 2014 US clinical practice guideline, four Cochrane reviews and a 151-person trial of tinnitus retraining therapy^{[1][2][3][4][5]}. We read each one and kept only what they actually report. Our method is set out on our how we review page.

The short answer: no treatment switches tinnitus off for most people, but CBT lowered tinnitus impact by about 11 points on a 100-point scale in pooled trials, and hearing aids help when hearing loss is part of the picture^[1][3].

What is the best tinnitus treatment?

The best-supported tinnitus treatment is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), with a hearing aid evaluation for anyone who also has hearing loss. Those are the two steps the 2014 US guideline recommends for tinnitus that is bothersome and has lasted 6 months or longer^[2]. Sound therapy is listed as an option^[2].

The guideline also says what not to use routinely. It recommends against antidepressants, anticonvulsants, anti-anxiety drugs and ear injections as routine tinnitus treatment. It recommends against dietary supplements and against transcranial magnetic stimulation as routine care^[2]. It made no recommendation either way on acupuncture^[2].

NIDCD describes the same toolkit in plainer terms: sound therapy devices (including hearing aids), behavioral therapies and, in some cases, medicines for mood or sleep^[1]. There are no FDA-approved medicines for tinnitus itself^[1].

Here is how the main options look in the research we read.

Is there a cure for tinnitus?

For most people there is no cure for tinnitus, but there are ways to make it quieter in your mind and less disruptive. NIDCD says this plainly: "there is no cure for tinnitus, but there are ways to reduce symptoms"^[1]. The exception is tinnitus with a fixable physical cause, such as earwax or a jaw joint problem^[1].

When a cause like that is found, NIDCD says treating it "can eliminate or greatly reduce symptoms"^[1]. For many others, symptoms can last months or years^[1]. That is why most treatment aims to make the sound less bothersome.

Tinnitus can also fade on its own. NIDCD notes it may improve or go away over time in children and adults, though in some people it gets worse^[1].

Be wary of any product sold as a tinnitus cure. NIDCD says vitamins, herbal extracts and supplements are often advertised that way, and "none of these has been proven to be effective"^[1].

How do you stop tinnitus immediately?

No method we found stops tinnitus immediately, but adding soft background sound can make it less noticeable right away. NIDCD explains that sound therapy may work by masking the tinnitus, helping you get used to it, or distracting you^[1]. That is the closest thing to quick relief the evidence supports.

Simple options NIDCD lists include a tabletop sound machine, a smartphone app playing rain or waves, a radio, or a household fan^[1]. For mild tinnitus, NIDCD says a bedside sound generator "might be all that you need to help you fall asleep"^[1].

Keep the sound soft and pleasant, the way NIDCD describes wearable generators^[1]. NIDCD also lists limiting exposure to loud noise as a way to avoid making symptoms worse^[1].

If the ringing started suddenly along with hearing loss in one ear, skip home remedies. That is a medical emergency, covered below^[7].

Do hearing aids and sound therapy help tinnitus relief?

Hearing aids are a main tinnitus option for people who also have hearing loss, because they bring in outside sound and make the ringing less noticeable. NIDCD calls hearing aids "one of the main treatment options" for people with tinnitus and hearing loss^[1]. The guideline recommends a hearing aid evaluation when hearing loss is documented^[2].

Hearing aids and combination devices

Combination devices fit in the ear like hearing aids and add a built-in sound generator^[1]. A 2018 Cochrane review of 8 studies and 590 people found no difference between combination devices and plain hearing aids (3 studies, 114 people)^[4]. People in both groups improved by a clinically meaningful amount^[4].

Sound generators and apps

Wearable sound generators sit in the ear and play soft sound all day^[1]. In the one trial that compared them with hearing aids, results were similar^[4]. However, the Cochrane authors found no trials comparing any of these devices with no device or a placebo, and they rated the evidence as low quality^[4]. So sound therapy is a reasonable option, as the guideline says, but it is not proven better than education and time^[2][4].

If a hearing test shows loss, we think a hearing aid is the first device to try, since it also helps you hear people and the world around you^[1].

Does CBT help tinnitus?

Yes. Cognitive behavioral therapy has the strongest evidence of any tinnitus treatment for reducing how much tinnitus affects daily life. A 2020 Cochrane review pooled 28 studies with 2,733 people^[3]. Compared with a wait list, CBT lowered tinnitus impact by about 10.91 points on a 100-point scale. The smallest change people notice is about 7 points^[3].

CBT also did better than usual audiology care, by about 5.65 points, in 3 studies with 444 people^[3]. Side effects were rare or absent^[3].

CBT does not make the sound go away. NIDCD describes it as learning to spot the negative thoughts that cause distress and to change how you respond to them^[1]. That matters because the distress, poor sleep and poor focus are what make tinnitus hard to live with^[1]. The guideline recommends CBT for anyone with persistent, bothersome tinnitus^[2].

Ask your doctor or audiologist for a referral to a psychologist or counselor who has worked with tinnitus.

Does tinnitus retraining therapy work?

Tinnitus retraining therapy (TRT) pairs counseling with low-level sound from an ear-worn device, but the largest trial found it did no better than standard care. NIDCD describes TRT as a way to "retrain" the brain so the sound becomes neutral and fades into the background^[1].

The Tinnitus Retraining Therapy Trial, published in 2019, followed 151 military members and family for 18 months^[5]. People got full TRT, TRT with placebo sound generators, or standard care. The authors found no difference between the groups^[5]. Everyone tended to improve, and about half reached a clinically meaningful change^[5].

An older Cochrane review found only 1 trial of 123 people that met its standards. That single low-quality trial favored TRT over tinnitus masking^[6].

TRT is still a fair choice, and its counseling piece overlaps with CBT. The evidence just does not show it beats good standard care, so let cost and time guide the choice^[5].

Can treating the cause stop tinnitus?

Sometimes. When tinnitus comes from a physical cause such as earwax, an ear infection or a jaw joint problem, treating that cause can remove or greatly reduce it. NIDCD says this directly for earwax and jaw joint problems^[1]. This is why the first visit is usually a basic ear check.

NIDCD advises seeing your primary care doctor first. They check for earwax or fluid from an ear infection and ask about your health history and medicines^[1]. Several medicines are linked to tinnitus, especially at high doses: NSAIDs such as ibuprofen, naproxen and aspirin, certain antibiotics, anti-cancer drugs, anti-malaria drugs and antidepressants^[1]. Never stop a prescribed medicine on your own. Ask whether a change is possible.

Other linked conditions include Ménière's disease, tumors on the hearing nerve, blood vessel problems such as high blood pressure, and long-term conditions like diabetes, thyroid disorders and anemia^[1]. A pulsing tinnitus often has a cause that can be found and treated^[1][8].

For people with severe to profound hearing loss, cochlear implants have been shown to suppress tinnitus, but they do not suit most people with tinnitus^[1].

Do supplements help tinnitus?

The research we read does not show that any supplement reliably helps tinnitus, and the US guideline recommends against using them. The guideline names ginkgo biloba, melatonin, zinc and "other dietary supplements"^[2]. NIDCD says none has been proven to be effective^[1].

Trial data point the same way. A 2022 Cochrane review of 12 studies and 1,915 people found ginkgo had little to no effect, with very low certainty^[9]. NCCIH says ginkgo is not helpful for tinnitus symptoms^[10]. A Cochrane review of zinc found 3 trials with 209 people and no clear benefit^[11].

A 2016 survey of 1,788 people with tinnitus found 23.1% had tried supplements. Of those, 70.7% reported no effect, 19.0% felt better and 10.3% felt worse^[12]. About 6% reported side effects such as bleeding, diarrhea and headache^[12]. The authors concluded supplements should not be recommended for tinnitus^[12].

If you still want to try one, check the label dose against the trial dose, look for a refund window, and tell your doctor first. Our editorial policy explains why we do not rank tinnitus pills.

When should you see a doctor for tinnitus?

See a doctor for any tinnitus that lasts, and get prompt care if it is in one ear, pulses with your heartbeat, or comes with sudden hearing loss. The guideline calls for a prompt hearing exam when tinnitus is one-sided, has lasted 6 months or more, or comes with hearing trouble^[2]. NIDCD says an ENT may order imaging, especially for pulsing tinnitus^[1].

See a doctor right away if:

• You suddenly lose hearing in one ear, with or without ringing. NIDCD calls sudden deafness a medical emergency. About half of people recover some or all hearing within 1 to 2 weeks, but delay can make treatment less effective^[7].
• You hear a pulsing or whooshing sound in time with your heartbeat. A cause is found in more than 70% of people with a full workup, and it can be a warning sign of stroke^[8].
• Tinnitus is in one ear only, or your hearing is worse on one side^[2].
• Tinnitus comes with new nerve symptoms, such as weakness or numbness on one side^[2].
• Tinnitus started after a head or neck injury^[1].
• The sound is affecting your mood or sleep, or you feel anxious or depressed. NIDCD notes severe tinnitus can lead to anxiety or depression^[1].

For tinnitus in both ears with no pulsing and no other warning signs, the guideline recommends against routine head and neck imaging^[2].

Which tinnitus treatment should you try first?

Start with a hearing test and an ear check, then match the treatment to what is found and to how much the sound bothers you. This decision table pulls together the guideline and NIDCD advice above^[1][2].

Your tinnitus relief checklist

• Book a primary care visit for an ear check and a medicine review^[1].
• Ask for a full hearing test from an audiologist^[2].
• Bring a list of every medicine and supplement you take, with doses^[1].
• Write down when the sound started, which ear, and whether it pulses^[1][2].
• Ask about a CBT referral if the sound affects sleep, mood or focus^[3].
• Use soft background sound at night instead of silence^[1].
• Protect your ears from loud noise so symptoms do not get worse^[1].
• If you take a blood thinner, skip ginkgo unless your doctor agrees^[10].

More guides on ringing in the ears are in our tinnitus relief section.

Bottom line on tinnitus treatment

Tinnitus treatment works best when it starts with finding out why the sound is there. An ear check and a hearing test can turn up earwax, hearing loss or a medicine link, and those are the cases where the sound can fade or ease the most^[1][2].

For most people with lasting tinnitus, CBT is a better first step than any device or pill, because it has the most trial data and few side effects^[3]. Add a hearing aid if you have hearing loss, use soft sound at night, and save your money on supplements, which the guideline advises against^[2].

This page is general information, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before you start any supplement, especially if you are pregnant, take medicine or have a health condition. Read our medical disclaimer and how we review.