Tinnitus at a general practitioner’s surgery

Tinnitus (ear ringing) is a symptom. It may last several seconds or nearly a lifetime. It can be divided into objective and subjective. In the

vast majority of cases, tinnitus is subjective, i.e. undetectable by the examiner. It may be a symptom of various diseases, result in psychic

alteration in the patient, and seriously restrict his or her daily routine activities and leisure time. The treatment is individual based on

the aetiological factors determined, the duration of tinnitus, and the results of examination. It can be divided into medical, physiatric,

physical, psychiatric-psychological, alternative, surgical and combined. The treatment includes ruling out possible causative factors, i. e.

biological, social and physical. Given the fact that tinnitus is a symptom and can be caused by a number of diseases, particularly those of

the inner ear, a patient with tinnitus should be examined in a specialized ENT practice as soon as possible. For a better understanding,

the examination and therapeutic procedures listed are described from the viewpoint of an ENT physician. Highlighted in red are those

sections in individual chapters where a general practitioner may play an important role.

Keywords: tinnitus, hardness of hearing, dizziness, treatment, prevention