RICHMOND, Va. (WOWO) — For millions of Americans, silence can be difficult to find.

People living with tinnitus experience persistent sounds that are not coming from an outside source, often described as ringing, buzzing, humming or hissing. For some, the condition can become a constant background noise that affects daily life.

Ken Seibert has lived with tinnitus for about two decades. He describes the sound as similar to air escaping from a tire according to News10 Lansing.

“It sounds like when you take air out of a tire. It’s like a ‘ssssst’ type of noise,” Seibert said. “If you’re listening to music, TV, anything it can always be in the background of that.”

Seibert uses hearing aids, which he says have helped improve his quality of life even though the tinnitus itself remains.

“The hearing aids help me overall to live a more wonderful life, if you will. But I still always have it in the background,” he said.

Audiologist Dr. Goutham Gosu describes tinnitus as an unwanted sound that a person perceives without an external source producing it.

Experts say tinnitus can have many possible causes, including hearing loss, ear infections, earwax buildup and other medical conditions. While some cases are temporary, persistent tinnitus should be evaluated by a health care professional.

Dr. Rhea Rogers of Aging Untold said people should seek medical attention if tinnitus appears alongside other concerning symptoms.

“Some people would say, well, maybe sources might be wax in the ear or an infection, but it can be associated with hearing loss sometimes,” Rogers said. “So, if you get hearing loss or sudden drooping of the face or things like that, then you want to really seek attention because you don’t know if something else is going on that brings it on.”

Once serious medical causes are ruled out, treatment generally focuses on helping people manage the effects of tinnitus.

There is currently no universal cure, but experts say several tools can reduce the impact of symptoms. Hearing aids, sound therapy, counseling and other strategies may help some people cope with the condition.

For individuals like Seibert, managing tinnitus often means finding ways to make the unwanted sound less disruptive.

While tinnitus may not always disappear completely, experts say treatment and support can help many people regain comfort, improve communication and maintain a better quality of life.