Summary

• Perception of sound in the absence of any external auditory stimulus.
• Sounds may be described as ringing, humming, buzzing, hissing, clicking, or pulsing.
• May occur intermittently or constantly.
• Diagnosis is based on clinical evaluation and audiometry. There may be a role for additional studies, such as auditory brainstem responses, otoacoustic emissions, and neuroimaging.
• Treatment is challenging as tinnitus is a symptom, not a disease. Thus intervention depends on treating the underlying cause.