Definition
A medical condition in which a person hears ringing, buzzing, hissing, or roaring sounds in one or both ears that are not produced by any external source. In aviation, tinnitus is most commonly caused by prolonged exposure to high cockpit noise levels, sudden loud sounds, or barotrauma from rapid pressure changes.
Plain English
Hearing a ringing or buzzing in your ears when nothing around you is actually making that sound. It's often the result of loud noise damaging the hearing system.
Context Anchor
Pilots may encounter this term in aeromedical discussions, hearing evaluations, or after exposure to loud cockpit or ramp noise.
Derivation
From the Latin tinnire, meaning 'to ring' or 'to jingle.' The word literally describes the ringing sensation the condition produces, which helps explain why it's used for any phantom ringing or buzzing in the ears.
Why Pilots Care
Persistent tinnitus can signal noise-induced hearing damage that may reduce the ability to hear critical radio calls or cockpit alerts.
Grounding Statement
If you hear ringing after shutting down in a quiet room, and nothing around you is making that sound, that is the kind of experience tinnitus describes.
Intuition Check
Tinnitus is not radio static, headset noise, or an aircraft sound. It is a sound the person perceives even when no outside source is making it.
Example Sentence 1
After years of flying piston aircraft without a noise-cancelling headset, the pilot developed tinnitus and now hears a constant high-pitched ringing in quiet rooms.
Example Sentence 2
The instructor reminded the class that repeated tinnitus after flights is a warning sign to improve hearing protection.