Tinnitus often causes distress. A new app could help.

Close up on a young woman's hands as she's holding a phone with its screen away from the camera.

A new app that delivers a specialized form of talk therapy to users might help people cope with tinnitus, a small study shows.

Tinnitus, or persistent ringing in the ears, does not have a single cause, but it is often related to hearing loss; a recent study suggests the condition may stem from hard-to-detect nerve damage. Tinnitus can sometimes go away on its own over time, but in other cases, it worsens, with chronic cases lasting three months or longer. Various treatments can help people manage the condition, including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), a specialized form of talk therapy that focuses on identifying and changing distorted thought patterns and their associated behaviors.