What do we know about tinnitus and hyperacusis? Seminar

Tinnitus is a common medical symptom frequently described as a buzzing or ringing like sound. Hyperacusis is another common, but comparatively less well understood symptom that is characterised by the perception of every day sounds as intense and overwhelming. Tinnitus and hyperacusis can co-occur in the same person, and this co-occurrence has led to the opinion that tinnitus and hyperacusis are linked mechanistically being prevalent in the current literature. However, there are important distinctions in the characteristics of the two symptoms and patient-reported experience that suggest tinnitus and hyperacusis are more different than they are alike.

This seminar will give a basic introduction to the two auditory symptoms and present some of the current and important literature on tinnitus and hyperacusis, and explore the patient reported lived experience of concomitant tinnitus and hyperacusis.