Tinnitus

Tinnitus, or ringing in the ears, is the perception of sound—such as a beep, hiss, or hum—without an external sound source present.
Approximately 14% of adults experience tinnitus. It is more common in people with hearing loss and in older adults, but it can also occur at a younger age.

The level of distress varies greatly: for some, it remains in the background, while for others, it disrupts sleep, concentration, and daily life.

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More information

how to Treat?

What is it?

What is tinnitus?

Tinnitus, or ringing in the ears, is the perception of sound—such as a beep, hiss, hum, or buzzing—without an external sound source present. You may experience the sound in one ear, both ears, or in your head. Approximately 14% of adults have tinnitus. The level of distress varies greatly from person to person.

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How does it develop?

Tinnitus is linked to changes in the auditory system and the way the brain processes sound. Hearing loss can play a role, but tinnitus also occurs in people without detectable hearing loss. For some, neck or jaw issues can influence the sound.

Brain networks involved in attention and emotions also play a role. Stress can bring tinnitus more to the forefront. Conversely, tinnitus itself can cause tension.

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What are the different types?

Tinnitus usually sounds like a constant or fluctuating noise. Withpulsatile tinnitusyou hear a rhythmic thumping sound that matches your heartbeat. This form requires medical evaluation, as there may be an identifiable physical cause.

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Why does the impact vary from person to person?

Some people hear tinnitus without being significantly bothered by it. For others, it affects sleep, concentration, emotional well-being, or daily life. The distress is therefore determined not only by how loud the sound is, but also by how it is perceived and what other symptoms are present.

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How to treat

How do we treat tinnitus?

Tinnitus varies from person to person. That is why treatment begins with a careful assessment of your symptoms.

We recommend seeing an ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialist first. This is important to identify any treatable causes and hearing loss. If tinnitus continues to cause significant distress after this assessment and any subsequent treatment, you can contact BRAI3N.

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Tinnitus as a symptom or a disorder

We distinguish between hearing tinnitus and its effects on your daily life.

Tinnitus as a symptommeans hearing a sound without an external sound source. If you hear tinnitus but it does not bother you, starting neuromodulation for tinnitus is generally not worthwhile.

Tinnitus disorderrefers to tinnitus accompanied by difficulties such as emotional distress, anxiety, concentration problems, or sleep issues that affect your daily functioning. Treatment then addresses both the tinnitus and the associated difficulties.

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What role does stress play?

Stress can make tinnitus more noticeable and increase the distress it causes. Conversely, tinnitus itself can cause stress. That is why we pay attention to stress, sleep and emotional well-being.

If you experience significant stress, even when tinnitus itself causes little distress, addressing that stress can be helpful. During the initial assessment, we consider which support is appropriate and whether neuromodulation could play a role.

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Neuromodulation at BRAI3N

At BRAI3N, we offer non-invasive neuromodulation. With these techniques, we aim to influence the activity of brain networks involved in tinnitus, attention and the emotional response to the sound.

The aim is to reduce tinnitus and the distress you experience, making the sound less prominent and reducing its impact on your daily life. Results vary from person to person: not everyone experiences improvement.

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Can tinnitus disappear completely?

There is currently no treatment that permanently eliminates tinnitus in everyone. However, treatment may help make the sound less noticeable and reduce its impact on sleep, concentration and well-being. We discuss what you can expect from treatment beforehand.

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An approach tailored to your symptoms

During the initial assessment, we listen to your story and discuss your symptoms, previous investigations and treatments. We also perform a qEEG: a measurement of the brain’s electrical activity. We consider this information alongside the clinical assessment to develop a treatment proposal. A qEEG cannot reliably predict which treatment will work for you.

Depending on your situation, neuromodulation may be combined with other care, such as cognitive behavioral therapy, hearing aids for hearing loss, or targeted treatment for neck and jaw problems. Together, we determine the most appropriate approach and monitor its effects.

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Our four-phase approach

1. Assessment
We discuss your symptoms, medical history, previous examinations, and the impact on your daily life. Together, we determine achievable treatment goals.

2. Targeted treatment
We will create an individual treatment plan and monitor changes in your tinnitus perception and daily functioning. If results are insufficient, we will adjust or discontinue the treatment in question.

3. Stabilization
When the treatment helps, we try to consolidate the improvement. Where possible, we gradually reduce the frequency of treatment.

4. Maintenance
We determine whether further follow-up or maintenance treatment is necessary. The principle is: as little treatment as necessary.

After each phase, we evaluate the next step together.

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Contact us for a no-obligation consultation or to schedule an appointment

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Scientific Background

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Published articles:

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This review article in Nature Reviews Disease Primers, with Prof. Dr. Sven Vanneste and Prof. Dr. Dirk De Ridder as authors, compiles the scientific knowledge regarding tinnitus, treatments, and future research.

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Read the full review article on tinnitus (English PDF, 2026)

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Link to scientific journals:

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Tinnitus | Nature Reviews Disease Primers (Link to scientific journal, 2026)

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Want to learn more about our scientific work?

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View our scientific publications

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^{Authored by}^{Prof. Dr. Sven Vanneste}^,^{Prof. Dr. Dirk De Ridder}^and^{Jan Ost}^{- 10/09/2026}