Tinnitus is defined as the perception of a sound in the absence of an external source that generated it [1]. It is usually described by those who experience it as a hissing, buzzing, beeping, ringing sound, or a sound synchronous with the heartbeat [2]. Tinnitus can be objective or subjective. Objective tinnitus refers to the perception of a sound that can also be heard by the examiner and is usually due to turbulent blood flow or muscle contraction [3]. More commonly, however, tinnitus is subjective; the sound is heard only by the person experiencing it and no source of the sound is identified [4]. Tinnitus affects between 5% and 43% of the general population and the prevalence increases with age [5].
