Characteristics of tinnitus in acoustic trauma.

Several parameters of tinnitus were investigated in a group fo 102 subjects suffering from acoustic trauma. These parameters were then compared to the results of the hearing tests and subjective complaints. The frequency and intensity of tinnitus were established by the usual matching technique with a clinical audiometer. The most effective masking of the tinnitus due to acoustic trauma was by pure tones. There seems to be a correlation between the tinnitus level and the hearing loss level at the frequency at which the hearing loss was most severe. A significant association was found between the matched tinnitus level and its description by the patient. There is also an association between the severity of the acoustic trauma and the perceived loudness of the tinnitus, as well as other subjective complaints.