Does tinnitus go away?
It is the first question almost everyone asks. Often, yes, especially when it follows a loud event, a cold or earwax. When it lasts, the right support can make it fade into the background so it no longer bothers you.
Short-lived tinnitus
Tinnitus that comes on after a loud concert, a cold, a flight or a build-up of earwax usually settles once the cause passes. Ringing after a gig often fades within a day or two. Tinnitus from wax or a blocked Eustachian tube usually goes once the ear is clear.
That does not mean it should be ignored. Ringing after noise is a warning that your ears were overloaded, and repeated episodes can lead to permanent damage.
When tinnitus lasts
Tinnitus that has been there for three months or more is called persistent tinnitus. The most common reason is hearing loss, often so gradual you have not noticed it. As the ear sends less sound to the brain, the brain turns up its own sensitivity, and you become aware of the activity in your hearing system as a ringing, buzzing or hissing.
For many people persistent tinnitus does gradually become less noticeable over months, as the brain learns to filter it out. This process, called habituation, is what most tinnitus support aims to speed up.
Free at our Birmingham clinic, £50 at home. We explain what we find and what would help.
What helps
- A hearing test. Finding and treating any hearing loss is often the single most effective step.
- Hearing aids. When tinnitus comes with hearing loss, hearing more of the world can make the tinnitus much less noticeable. Many have built-in tinnitus sound programs.
- Sound enrichment. Gentle background sound, such as a fan, soft music or a nature sound app, especially at night.
- Understanding it. Knowing tinnitus is common and rarely a sign of anything serious reduces the worry that often makes it louder.
- Talking therapy. Cognitive behavioural therapy for tinnitus has good evidence for reducing distress.
Tinnitus UK, the national charity, has a helpline and useful self-help resources.
When to see a GP
See your GP if tinnitus is in one ear only, pulses in time with your heartbeat, came on with dizziness or after a head injury, or is affecting your sleep or mood. Sudden hearing loss with tinnitus needs medical care the same day.
Frequently asked questions.
Usually a few hours to a couple of days. If it lasts longer than a week, have your hearing tested.
There is no single cure, but most people find it becomes much less noticeable with the right support.
Not necessarily. It is often linked with some hearing loss, but many people with tinnitus have good hearing.
Find out what is behind your tinnitus.
A full hearing test with tinnitus assessment, in clinic or at home.
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Written and clinically reviewed by our HCPC registered audiologists. Last reviewed: 15 October 2026. This page is general information, not a diagnosis. If you are worried about your hearing or your ears, book an appointment or speak to your GP.