Diagnosis of tinnitus

Tinnitus is certainly a socially relevant problem, but, despite everything, even today we are witnessing a slightly too superficial management of the patient by the doctor, often as the clinical case is underestimated. All of this cannot be justified especially when there is tinnitus with sudden onset or rapid decompensation: in these cases, in fact, we could find ourselves faced with a real urgency. There are no clinical standards and guidelines for the management of tinnitus. Over the years, various classifications of tinnitus have been proposed with relatives diagnostic/ therapeutic algorithms: none, however, is convincing and, above all, few clinical practice. a comprehensive literature search was accomplished using the following databases: PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science. included articles through 2023 year and referenced by relevant literature. The eligible studies and data results were summarized in this narrative review. Studies show that tinnitus is an underestimated and difficult to diagnose problem. Often patients have already turned to healthcare professionals resulting in what we call “negative counseling.” tinnitus is a complex multifactorial problem that may require management of clinical, psychological and/or social issues. It is important to have a positive approach from the therapist for the sake of the patient’s reaction to tinnitus. Since there is still no specific and safe pharmacological therapy of the symptom, the diagnostic study of the patient becomes the fundamental moment in which several specialists can participate and collaborate, each according to their own skills, in order to arrive at the most targeted.