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Tinnitus. More can be done than most GPs think
1St Vincent's Private Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales. jptonkin@bigpond.com
Background:
Tinnitus is the appreciation of sound arising from an internal source. The sound may be pulsating and arising from a vascular cord near the ear or it may arise from pathology in the inner ear. When pathology in the inner ear is the cause of the tinnitus, the tinnitus is nonpulsating, continuous and may have variable frequencies and intensity.
Objective:
This article aims to outline the diagnostic features of tinnitus to determine causes and aggravators, and provide an overview of treatment.
Discussion:
Assessment of tinnitus involves distinguishing objective from nonobjective tinnitus, pulsatile from nonpulsatile tinnitus and the investigation of features that will determine the cause of tinnitus and any aggravating factors. Management of the condition involves the treatment of the underlying cause, attention to any contributing aggravators and the control of symptoms.