What Does It Mean When a Child's Ears Are Ringing?

The Mayo Clinic defines tinnitus as a "noise or ringing in the ears." It is a common problem, affecting as many children as adults. Although annoying, it is rarely serious and usually gets better with treatment.

Symptoms

• Symptoms of tinnitus are noises heard in one or both ears and may sound like ringing, roaring, whistling, buzzing, humming or other similar sounds.

Types

• The three types of tinnitus are spontaneous, subjective and objective. Spontaneous tinnitus goes away on its own and lasts for a short period of time. Subjective tinnitus is only heard by the child. Objective tinnitus can be heard by others as well as the child.

Causes

• Causes of tinnitus include ear injuries, hearing loss, wax build-up in the ear, some medications, ear/sinus infections, misaligned jaw, head/neck trauma, inner-ear disorders and tumors.

Diagnosing

• A physician will take a complete medical history to determine what could be causing the tinnitus. Additionally the child is subjected to an audiogram (hearing test) and may also receive additional tests such as a CT scan or an MRI.

Treatment

• Fortunately, children will often outgrow tinnitus before adulthood. If treatment is necessary, tinnitus treatment consists of hearing aids, electronic devices that mask the tinnitus noise, cognitive therapy to reassure and explain the disorder to the child, cochlear implants used to treat near-deafness and medication.