Tinnitus — ringing, buzzing, or hissing in the ears — affects about 15% of adults. It can arise from noise exposure, age-related hearing loss, ear infections, or other causes. Right now, no FDA-approved drug exists to eliminate tinnitus, though hearing aids, sound therapy, and cognitive behavioral therapy help many people manage it.
What's actually going on in research
Trials are testing drugs that target the auditory nerve or brain circuits that generate phantom sounds, neuromodulation devices that pair sounds with electrical or magnetic stimulation, and gene therapies for inner ear repair. Researchers are also studying whether reducing brain inflammation or repairing damaged hair cells can quiet tinnitus at its source.
Bimodal neuromodulation
Devices combine sounds with mild tongue or vagus nerve stimulation, training the brain to tune out phantom noise. One device received FDA clearance in 2020 for tinnitus treatment.
Inner ear repair
Gene therapies aim to regrow damaged hair cells in the cochlea, which may prevent or reverse tinnitus caused by hearing loss. Several companies are testing these approaches in early trials.
NMDA receptor drugs
Pills targeting NMDA receptors in the brain may reduce overactivity in auditory circuits. Trials are testing whether this approach can lower tinnitus volume or distress.
What to know before you search
Eligibility typically depends on tinnitus severity, duration, whether hearing loss is present, and cause — such as noise exposure, age-related hearing loss, or sudden hearing loss.
What types of trials are currently open
- Drug trials — Testing pills or injections that target the auditory nerve, brain circuits, or inner ear inflammation to reduce tinnitus loudness or distress.
- Device trials — Studies of neuromodulation devices that pair sounds with electrical or magnetic stimulation to retrain the brain's response to phantom noise.
- Gene therapy trials — Testing injections into the ear that deliver genes to repair or regrow damaged hair cells, which may prevent or reverse tinnitus.
- Behavioral trials — Testing cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness, or other approaches to reduce the emotional impact of tinnitus.
- Observational studies — Following people with tinnitus to understand what factors predict improvement or worsening over time.
Recently added Tinnitus trials
Try foot reflexology and nerve stimulation to reduce tinnitus
Tinnitus is a common neurosensory symptom affecting 12-30% of adults and is closely associated with anxiety, sleep disturbance, and autonomic dysregulation. Current pharmacologic treatments offer limited efficacy and notable side effects, prompting interest in non-pharmacological approaches. This randomized, single-blind, sham-controlled trial evaluates whether foot reflexology (FR), transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (ta-VNS), and auricular acupressure (AA) improve tinnitus severity, psychological distress, sleep quality, and autonomic indicators (heart rate variability and salivary cortisol) in non-cancer adults with tinnitus, compared with usual care. Participants are randomized to a foot reflexology group, an auricular vagus nerve stimulation group (each with true and sham subgroups), or a usual-care control group, and are followed at baseline and weeks 2, 4, and 8.
Try dietary changes to help reduce ear ringing from Behçet disease
otogic problems are varied in bechet disorder, tinnnitus is one of these problems. obesity may increase this probelm
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