Tinnitus evaluation using the tinnitus grading system.

We developed a system to help evaluate the likelihood of a particular patient requiring intensive tinnitus treatment. The system is based on Vernon's tinnitus grading system, in which patients assign values from 1 to 5 to each of the three subjective complaints of loudness, annoyance, and interference with life activities. In our study, we collected data from 346 of our tinnitus patients and analyzed the relationship between the three values. On the basis of these results the patients were divided into five tinnitus-type groups. Scores on a tinnitus severity scale were also determined by adding the three values together. We similarly evaluated 87 patients whose tinnitus was severe enough to require hospitalization. It was found that patients who had high values for annoyance and life interference and who showed tinnitus severity scores of 9 or more tended to require careful observation and intensive treatment. These patients also tended to have physical and psychological problems in addition to their tinnitus.