[Bilateral caloric long-term irrigation as a method for the differentiation of tonal tinnitus].

In 307 subjects with tinnitus aurium, the parameters frequency, loudness, and masking levels did not correlate significantly with the basic diseases. As a new possibility in differentiation between tinnitus of central or peripheral origin, bilateral caloric long-term irrigation of the ear canal is presented. Using warm water leads to an increase, cold water to a decrease in the loudness of tinnitus. Such results were found in cases of Menière's disease and noise-induced hearing loss. An explanation of this phenomenon lies in the hypothesis of tinnitus genesis established by Tonndorf.