Can tinnitus stop me from hearing people talking?

Tinnitus can make it harder to follow conversations, but it’s not usually because the tinnitus is “blocking” sound. Instead, the ringing, buzzing or hissing can compete with the speech you’re trying to listen to, making it more difficult to concentrate, especially in busy places with lots of background noise.

Many people who have tinnitus also have some degree of hearing loss, even if they haven’t noticed it yet. Hearing loss is often a very slow and gradual process that you may not pick up on until it’s significantly impacting your quality of life. This could lead you to believe that tinnitus is affecting your hearing. However, it’s often untreated hearing loss, rather than the tinnitus itself, that makes speech sound unclear or muffled.

If you’re finding it difficult to understand conversations, it’s a good idea to see an audiologist for a hearing and tinnitus assessment. An audiologist can determine whether the symptoms you’re experiencing are being caused by tinnitus, hearing loss, or a combination of both, and recommend the most appropriate management options. For many people, hearing aids and tinnitus management strategies can make conversations much easier to follow.

You can browse our Tinnitus and Hearing Health articles to learn more about tinnitus, hearing loss and the treatment options available to you.