points from history and examination

Last reviewed 01/2018

  • a diagnostic approach to identify an underlying etiology of tinnitus should include:
    • a detailed history
    • examination of the head and neck
    • audiometric testing
  • points from the history:
    • onset (1)
      • in old age progressive hearing loss with tinnitus is associated with presbycusis
      • precipitous onset may suggest loud noise exposure or head injury
    • character of sound
      • a low-pitched rumbling sound suggests Meniere's disease
      • a high-pitched sound may indicate sensorineural hearing loss
      • if the tinnitus is made up of "voices" then this requires psychiatric referral
    • pattern (1)
      • pulsatile tinnitus
        • may indicate anxiety or acute inflammatory ear conditions
        • vascular aetiologies may cause pulsatile tinnitus
          • including tumours (glomus, carotid body), carotid stenosis, arteriovenous malformations, intracranial aneurysms, high cardiac output states
      • continuous tinnitus is associated with hearing loss (1)
      • episodic tinnitus is associated with Meniere's disease (1)
    • localization (1)
      • bilateral tinnitus is usually benign
      • causes of unilateral tinnitus include
        • cerumen impaction
        • otitis externa
        • otitis media
      • when tinitus is associated with unilateral sensorineural hearing loss acoustic neuroma should be suspected (1)
    • intrusion
      • not all patients suffer intrusion from their tinnitus
      • if the tinnitus is intrusive then this raises patients' concern about serious intracranial disease, reinforcing tinnitus. There may be a deterioration in sleep, mood, and concentration. Intrusion dictates whether and how much treatment is needed (2)
    • otological history
      • tinnitus may result from almost any ear problem
        • particularly causes of deafness, such as audiovestibular symptoms, exposure to noise, head injury, and ear surgery
      • when aural fullness, hearing loss and vertigoare associated, Meniere's disease should be suspected (1)
    • aggravating and inhibitory factors
      • tinnitus experienced in patulous eustachian tube subsides when lying down (1)
    • other causes to consider:
      • tinnitus may be associated with:
        • fever
        • cardiovascular disease e.g. hypertension, cardiac failure
          • also tinnitus may be associated with high cardiac output states (anaemia, thyrotoxicosis, pregnancy)
        • neurological disease e.g.multiple sclerosis, neuropathy, alcoholism
        • physical immobility
      • tinnitus may be associated with mental stress and depression (therefore it is important to obtain a psychosocial history)
      • drugs may rarely cause or exacerbate tinnitus e.g. salicylates, aminoglycosides, quinine, loop diuretics, and beta blockers
      • other potential contributing causes include
        • hyperlipidemia, vitamin B12 deficiency, thyroid disorder (1)
  • examination of the head and neck:
    • examine ears:
      • for meatal wax or foreign bodies and signs of middle ear disease (effusion, infection, perforation, glomus).
      • free-field speech tests detect deafness
        • Rinne's test and Weber's test differentiate conductive and sensorineural losses
      • note that audiometry is better for defining and documenting deafness
    • examine cranial nerves:
      • particularly trigeminal and facial. Points from the history will indicate the need for further neurological or general examinations
    • auscultate over the neck, periauricular area, mastoid, orbits (1)
    • when tinnitus is of venous origin, it can be suppressed by pressing on the ipsilateral jugular vein (1)
  • audiometric tests (1)
    • an audiometric assessment should be done on all patients with tinnitus
    • diagnostic testing should include the following
      • audiography
      • tests for speech discrimination
      • tympanometry
  • further investigations (1)
    • if the patient has an abnormal medical history the following tests should be obtained (1)
      • thyroid function tests, hematocrit, complete blood chemistry, lipid profile
    • following tests help to identify the underlying disease
      • contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT)
      • magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain

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