ABSTRACT
This chapter aims to describe the fundamentals of diagnosis and treatment, and to briefly reflect on future hopes. Tinnitus is a symptom rather than a condition in itself, and the clinician should attempt to exclude any treatable pathology with audiological and radiological investigations. There are many studies that report the prevalence of tinnitus, but unfortunately the quality of the literature is not high, and is marked by many different definitions concerning the severity and duration of tinnitus. The prevalence of tinnitus is more common in women than men, and rises with age, hearing loss, noise exposure and smoking. Common medical conditions associated with tinnitus are listed. Some patients complaining of tinnitus may also report a fluttering sensation in their ear, which may co-vary with anxiety or stress; in such cases middle ear myoclonus should be suspected, usually arising from the tensor tympani muscle. Careful counselling about the cause of tinnitus and explaining the impact is indicated.
