A review of tinnitus

Abstract

TINNITUS MAY BE DEFINED as conscious awareness of a sound in the absence of an external auditory stimulus. At least two-thirds of Australians have reported suffering from noticeable tinnitus at some point in their lives. 1 Clinical care examples are given in Cases 1-3. Definitions Tinnitus may be categorised as subjective, objective, primary or secondary (Table 1). Tinnitus is further classified according to duration. One must also differentiate between bothersome tinnitus and nonbothersome tinnitus because this will influence how active the treating general practitioner (GP) needs to be about management. Causes Almost any insult to the auditory pathway can result in tinnitus. Several non-auditory conditions can also lead to tinnitus. Therefore, many organic states can lead to the experience of tinnitus. The most common and potentially reversible causes are outlined in Table 2. Assessment A directed history and examination is required when a patient presents with tinnitus. History • Timeline: When did the experience of tinnitus begin? Duration will determine whether tinnitus is in the acute or chronic state.

Do dietary factors significantly influence tinnitus?

“…Tinnitus (from the Latin tinnire, to ring), the perception of phantom sound in the head or ears in the absence of a corresponding external acoustical source, is a common disorder in the general population. [3][4][5] Depending on the applied diagnostic criterion for tinnitus, the prevalence rates in adult populations vary from 11.9-30.3%. 5 We know that tinnitus is a multifactorial condition -brought on by factors including age; noise exposure; ototoxic medications; vascular problems; genetic predisposition; temporomandibular disorders; or as a consequence of other diseases, such as Ménière's disease (MD) -that requires careful medical assessment and management.…”

“…5 We know that tinnitus is a multifactorial condition -brought on by factors including age; noise exposure; ototoxic medications; vascular problems; genetic predisposition; temporomandibular disorders; or as a consequence of other diseases, such as Ménière's disease (MD) -that requires careful medical assessment and management. 3,6 Table 1 features a list of widely used medications that can contribute to tinnitus.…”

“…The necessary multidisciplinary management of patients with tinnitus includes strategies such as hearing aids, sound therapy, cognitive behavioural therapy, psycho-educational counselling or neuromodulation; however, potentially beneficial lifestyle modifications are generally not used so far. 3,4,6,7 For example, important and effective recommendations such as 'patients who have tinnitus should stop smoking' are rarely shared with those in primary care settings. 8…”

Issues of personalized treatment of chronic sensorineural hearing loss in the elderly

“…Проведение тональной пороговой аудиометрии, как отмечает A.A. Esmaili и соавт., рекомендуется всем пациентам с тиннитусом в связи с тем, что большая часть пациентов с шумом в ушах имеет некоторую степень потери слуха [23]. Кроме того, проведение шумометрии и понимание характера шума могут помочь избежать ошибок при оценке данных тональной пороговой и речевой аудиометрии.…”

Essential Palatal Tremor Following an Upper Respiratory Tract Infection: A Case Report

“…Tinnitus is a common otologic symptom and is defined as the conscious awareness of a sound in the absence of an external auditory stimulus [1]. It can either be objective or subjective, with objective tinnitus being a less common presentation.…”