What it means
A sound that only the person hears. It can come from loud noise exposure, aging, earwax, inner ear disease such as Ménière disease, or drugs that can harm the ear, such as high doses of aspirin, some loop diuretics and aminoglycoside antibiotics. It may be constant or come and go.
For the nurse
Ask about new ringing in clients taking drugs known to harm the ear, and report it, as it can be an early sign of toxicity. Teach hearing protection around loud noise.
In a chart
"Client on high-dose aspirin reports ringing in both ears; dose held, provider notified."
At a glance
| Everyday words | ringing in the ears |
|---|---|
| Spanish | acúfeno, tinnitus |
Related terms
aspirin
A drug that eases pain, fever and inflammation and makes platelets less sticky so blood clots less easily.
vertigo
A false feeling that you or the room around you is spinning or moving.
toxicity
The harm a substance does to the body, or a state in which a drug has built up to a harmful level.
audi/o
A word root that means hearing or sound.