Appearance and characteristics of tinnitus in childhood

Authors

Prof. Dr.med. Gottfried Aust (Berlin, Germany)

Proceedings

XXX Congress of the NES - Oporto - Portugal

Topics

Sensology
Hearing
Diseases
Sensology
Hearing
Sensology
Hearing
Otologic tests
Sensology

Keywords

Children, Hearing loss, Meningitis, Psychic factors, Tinnitus.

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Abstract

The appearance of tinnitus has risen clearly also in children within the last decades. 1550 children were questioned as to whether they have tinnitus. A total of 131 children said at the interview that tinnitus had appeared or was still present.
The most frequent information was the progression of an existing hardness of hearing followed by children suffered of Meningitis. Other causes were problems with central sensory perception, psychological factors, middle ear pathology, head trauma, acoustic trauma, and stapes surgery. The mechanisms of development of tinnitus are, however, not so clear in a large proportion of the children. Wheezing, beeping, ringing, clicks and murmur are the most frequent sensations characterized by the children questioned.
The diagnostics to clarify tinnitus in children should exclude middle ear processes, metabolic disturbances, possible damage to the sensory level of the CNS, and the circulation, and one should always also consider emotional problems and disturbances of perception.
Children with tinnitus of various causes are demonstrated in a case report.