An Overview of Tinnitus (The Humming Ear): Epidemiology and Pathophysiology

The present study provides an overview of Tinnitus and its management. It is very helpful for otology students and medical professionals who practise audio vestibular medicine. This teaches doctors a systematic method for determining the severity of a condition, which is in and of itself a very challenging subject to master, and how to treat patients who have this morbidity. Tinnitus is considered a disorder of sound tolerance and is rarely a harbinger of serious pathology, but careful clinical assessment is required. Getting a detailed and thorough history is the cornerstone of treating a patient with tinnitus. A thorough clinical and audiological examination should then come next. Specialists in otorhinolaryngology and audiovestibular medicine are the next professionals to be involved in the care of a patient with tinnitus after the general practitioner. Briefly discussed are the key ideas in assessing, diagnosing, and treating the clinical manifestations of tinnitus.

By the turn of the twentieth century, tinnitus research took a new turn. It was concluded that the presence of tinnitus was always more or less associated with hearing impairment and the physiology of tinnitus is connected with neurophysiological research. There is Objective as well as Subjective tinnitus. Duration of tinnitus of less than three months is considered Acute, otherwise it is regarded as Chronic. Most tinnitus sufferers go through a process of habituation, and the symptoms' severity lessens over time. Interventions that improve hearing are often helpful & various audiological and psychological management strategies for tinnitus have been developed. Disorders of sound tolerance are widespread, but there are still many unanswered management questions due to ambiguous terminology and unclear pathophysiology.