ear, nose, and throat disorders
Tinnitus
Key Points
Subjective tinnitus is caused by an abnormality somewhere in the auditory pathway. Objective tinnitus is caused by an actual noise produced in a vascular structure near the ear. Loud noise, aging, Meniere disease, migraines, and drugs are the most common causes of subjective tinnitus. Unilateral tinnitus with hearing loss or dizziness/dysequilibrium warrants gadolinium-enhanced MRI to rule out vestibular schwannoma. Any tinnitus accompanied by a neurologic deficit should prompt neurologic evaluation. 