From The Guardian, 12 September 2026:
For some it’s a high-pitched mosquito whine; for others it’s a low bass hum. It might come and go with periods of stress, or it might be the permanent, irritating background track to daily life and nightly sleep.
Whatever form it takes, tinnitus – hearing sounds like ringing, buzzing or hissing when no external noise is there – can be extremely distressing because it’s quite literally in your head; there is no escaping it. Given that at least one-quarter of the population report experiencing tinnitus at some stage in their life, it’s surprising how little is understood about why.
“The theory that’s most supported at the moment is that there’s some sort of change in the hearing pathway, and the nerves in the hearing pathway are basically firing more than they should do,” says Dr Emma Laird, an audiologist at La Trobe University in Melbourne. “We’re hearing this increased activity as that tinnitus sound.” Read more.
Bianca Nogrady 