Best Tinnitus Doctor in Dubai – Dr. Muhammad Jabbr

You lie down at night and the room is quiet. But your ears are not. There is a ringing, a hiss or a buzz that nobody else can hear. This is called tinnitus, and it is very common. If it has started to bother you, a tinnitus doctor in Dubai can find out what is behind it and help you live with it more easily.

At Medcare Hospital, Al Safa, Consultant ENT and Head & Neck Surgeon Dr. Muhammad Jabbr treats ear problems in adults and children. With more than 20 years of ENT experience, he is one of the best doctors in Dubai to see when your ears will not stop ringing.

What Is Tinnitus, and Why Do My Ears Ring?

Tinnitus means hearing a sound that does not come from the outside world. People describe it in many ways:

• A high-pitched ringing or whistling
• Buzzing, humming or hissing, like a radio between stations
• Clicking or crackling
• A whooshing or thumping that keeps time with your heartbeat

Tinnitus is a symptom, not a disease. It signals that something in the hearing system has changed. Often the inner ear sends weaker signals, for example after noise damage. The brain may then "turn up the volume", and you start to hear some of its own background activity.

For most people, tinnitus is not a sign of serious illness. But it can still be tiring and upsetting.

What Are the Common Causes of Tinnitus?

Some causes can be treated directly, so finding the trigger comes first. The most common ones are:

• Loud noise. Concerts, power tools or long hours on headphones can damage the tiny hair cells in the inner ear. Ringing after a loud night often fades in a day or two. Repeated exposure can make it last.
• Hearing loss. Tinnitus very often goes hand in hand with some loss of hearing, even a mild loss you have not noticed yet. Read more on our page about common hearing loss causes and prevention tips.
• Earwax. A plug of wax blocking the ear canal can cause ringing and a blocked feeling. This is one of the easiest causes to fix.
• Ear infections or fluid. Middle ear infections, fluid behind the eardrum or a blocked Eustachian tube (often after a cold or a flight) can bring on tinnitus.
• Stress and poor sleep. Stress does not usually start tinnitus on its own. But it can make the sound seem louder and harder to ignore.
• Jaw and neck problems. Problems with the jaw joint (TMJ), teeth grinding or tight neck muscles can change or worsen ear noises.
• Certain medicines. High doses of aspirin, some antibiotics, some water tablets and some cancer drugs can affect the ear. Never stop a medicine without talking to your doctor.
• Inner ear conditions. Meniere's disease, for example, can cause attacks of tinnitus with spinning dizziness, a full feeling in the ear and hearing that comes and goes.

Pulsatile and One-Sided Tinnitus: When Is It a Warning Sign?

Most tinnitus is a steady sound, often in both ears. Two patterns are different and should always be checked by an ENT doctor.

Pulsatile tinnitus

This is a whooshing or thumping that beats in time with your pulse. It usually means you are hearing blood flow in vessels close to the ear. Causes can include a narrowed or twisty blood vessel, high blood pressure, anaemia, an overactive thyroid or raised pressure around the brain. Rarely, it is caused by an abnormal blood vessel or a small growth near the ear. So it usually needs a careful examination and often a scan.

Ringing on one side only

Ringing in just one ear, especially with hearing loss in that same ear, needs a closer look. It may be wax or an infection. But in a small number of people, it can be a sign of a slow-growing, non-cancerous growth on the hearing and balance nerve (called an acoustic neuroma or vestibular schwannoma). An MRI scan may be advised to rule this out.

When to get urgent help

• Tinnitus comes with a sudden drop in hearing in one ear. See a doctor the same day. Sudden hearing loss is an emergency, and treatment works best when it starts early.
• You also have severe dizziness, weakness of the face, a bad headache or changes in your vision. Go to an emergency department.
• The noise started after a head injury.
• The sound is making you feel hopeless or you have thoughts of harming yourself. Please reach out for urgent help straight away.

How Does a Tinnitus Doctor in Dubai Check Your Ears?

Your visit starts with a conversation. Dr. Jabbr will ask what the sound is like, which ear it is in, when it began, what makes it worse, and how it affects your sleep, work and mood. He will also ask about noise, medicines and dizziness.

Depending on your story, the check may include:

• Ear examination with a light or microscope to look for wax, infection or fluid.
• Hearing tests, such as pure-tone audiometry and tympanometry. These show whether there is hearing loss and how well the eardrum moves. See our page on hearing tests in Dubai to know what to expect.
• Checks of the jaw, neck and blood pressure, and listening near the ear when the noise is pulsatile.
• Blood tests in some cases, for example for anaemia or thyroid problems.
• Imaging when needed. An MRI may be advised for one-sided tinnitus or uneven hearing. A CT or a scan of the blood vessels may be advised for pulsatile tinnitus.

Most people do not need every test.

How Is Tinnitus Treated and Managed?

There is no single pill that switches tinnitus off. But a lot can be done to make it less bothersome.

Treat the cause first

If wax is the problem, careful removal may ease the noise quickly. Ear infections and fluid can be treated with medicines or, in some cases, a small procedure. Causes such as anaemia or high blood pressure are treated in their own way.

Hearing aids when hearing is also reduced

If you have hearing loss, hearing aids can often help. They bring back outside sounds, so the brain pays less attention to the ringing.

Sound therapy

Silence makes tinnitus stand out. Gentle background sound makes it blend in. You can use a fan, soft music, nature sounds or a sound app at bedtime.

Coping skills and CBT-style support

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) has good evidence for easing tinnitus distress. It does not remove the sound. It changes how you react to it, so it takes up less of your attention.

Simple daily habits

• Protect your ears from loud noise with earplugs, and keep headphone volume moderate.
• Keep a regular sleep routine, and avoid a silent bedroom.
• If jaw clenching or teeth grinding plays a part, a dentist may suggest a night guard.

Why Choose Dr. Muhammad Jabbr for Ringing in the Ears?

Tinnitus is part of Dr. Jabbr's wider otology practice in Dubai.

• He is trained in both ear care and head and neck surgery, with MD, MS, DOHNS (England), European Board and Arab Board certification in ORL-HNS.
• In more than 20 years of ENT work, he has carried out more than 3,000 procedures.
• He can treat many ear causes of tinnitus himself, such as wax, infection and fluid.
• Patients give him a 4.9 rating on Google, from 406 reviews.

He explains your results in plain words and helps you build a plan you can follow. Read more about Dr. Muhammad Jabbr and his training.

Book an Appointment

If ear noises are affecting your sleep or peace of mind, you do not have to just put up with them. Choose a time for your tinnitus check online, or phone the clinic on +971 52 751 7811. You will find Dr. Jabbr in the ENT Department of Medcare Hospital on Hadiqa Street, Al Safa 1.

Frequently Asked Questions

Living More Comfortably With Tinnitus

Most ear noises are not a sign of anything serious. Still, a proper ear check can find treatable causes and pick up the rare warning signs. If tinnitus is wearing you down, an appointment with Dr. Muhammad Jabbr is a sensible first step towards a clear plan.