Which statement correctly describes tinnitus?

Which statement correctly describes tinnitus?

• A. The sense of hearing loss caused by hair cell damage
• B. A temporary decrease in hearing after loud noise
• C. The perception of ringing, buzzing, or hissing sounds in the absence of external sound
• D. An improvement in balance due to inner ear injury

Answer: (C)

Tinnitus is the perception of sound when there is no external source. People describe it as ringing, buzzing, or hissing, and it arises from spontaneous activity or changes in the auditory pathways, often after hair cell damage or exposure to loud noise. It’s a phantom sound the brain interprets, and it can occur with or without actual hearing loss. A temporary decrease in hearing after loud noise refers to a temporary threshold shift in hearing sensitivity, not the phantom sounds of tinnitus. An improvement in balance due to inner ear injury doesn’t describe tinnitus, since tinnitus is about auditory perception, not balance.

Tinnitus is the perception of sound when there is no external source. People describe it as ringing, buzzing, or hissing, and it arises from spontaneous activity or changes in the auditory pathways, often after hair cell damage or exposure to loud noise. It’s a phantom sound the brain interprets, and it can occur with or without actual hearing loss.

A temporary decrease in hearing after loud noise refers to a temporary threshold shift in hearing sensitivity, not the phantom sounds of tinnitus. An improvement in balance due to inner ear injury doesn’t describe tinnitus, since tinnitus is about auditory perception, not balance.