Which clinical condition is characterized by perception of ringing or buzzing sounds in the ears?
Solution
Correct Answer: Option C
The clinical condition characterized by the perception of ringing or buzzing sounds in the ears is Tinnitus.
- Tinnitus refers to the sensation of hearing noises such as ringing, buzzing, hissing, or roaring in one or both ears when no external sound is present. It is a subjective auditory perception and often a symptom rather than a disease itself.
- In contrast, Presbycusis is age-related hearing loss characterized by a gradual decline in the ability to hear high-frequency sounds, but it does not typically involve the perception of ringing or buzzing.
- Meniere's disease is a disorder of the inner ear characterized by episodes of vertigo, hearing loss, a feeling of fullness in the ear, and sometimes tinnitus, but tinnitus is only one aspect of the condition.
- Otitis media is an infection or inflammation of the middle ear, which mainly presents with ear pain, hearing loss, and sometimes discharge; tinnitus is not a primary feature of this condition.
Thus, the primary and defining symptom of tinnitus is the perception of ringing or buzzing sounds without external stimuli.
Reference: Kumar, P., Clark, M. *Clinical Medicine*, 10th Edition, Chapter 9: Ear Disorders / Page 312
- Tinnitus refers to the sensation of hearing noises such as ringing, buzzing, hissing, or roaring in one or both ears when no external sound is present. It is a subjective auditory perception and often a symptom rather than a disease itself.
- In contrast, Presbycusis is age-related hearing loss characterized by a gradual decline in the ability to hear high-frequency sounds, but it does not typically involve the perception of ringing or buzzing.
- Meniere's disease is a disorder of the inner ear characterized by episodes of vertigo, hearing loss, a feeling of fullness in the ear, and sometimes tinnitus, but tinnitus is only one aspect of the condition.
- Otitis media is an infection or inflammation of the middle ear, which mainly presents with ear pain, hearing loss, and sometimes discharge; tinnitus is not a primary feature of this condition.
Thus, the primary and defining symptom of tinnitus is the perception of ringing or buzzing sounds without external stimuli.
Reference: Kumar, P., Clark, M. *Clinical Medicine*, 10th Edition, Chapter 9: Ear Disorders / Page 312
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