Short Wave The noise that isn't there
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Feb 21, 2026 Dan Polley, a tinnitus researcher probing brain circuits behind phantom sounds, and Stéphane Maison, clinician running a tinnitus clinic, discuss why the brain creates persistent ringing. They cover hidden hearing damage, how reduced input leads the brain to amplify internal noise, why standard hearing tests can miss problems, and how therapies aim to retrain attention and distress responses.
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Young Person's Sudden Tinnitus Story
- Kelly started hearing a high-pitched ringing in one ear around age 25 and it spread to the other ear over months.
- She got normal hearing tests yet the sound persisted and disrupted her sleep, work, and social life.
Tinnitus Is A Brain-Generated Perception
- Tinnitus is not an external sound but a perception generated inside the brain when auditory input drops.
- The brain 'turns up the volume' to compensate for missing input, producing a phantom sound.
Hidden Hearing Loss Explains Normal Tests
- Standard audiograms test sensitivity to soft sounds but miss nerve fibers that code loud sounds.
- Damage to those 'loud' fibers can be hidden yet explains hearing problems and may trigger tinnitus.