A five-score scale was used to evaluate each of the following three aspects of subjective complaints of patients with tinnitus: 1) loudness, 2) degree of annoyance, and 3) interference with life activities. The tinnitus severity scale was defined as the sum of the scores of these three characteristics. The relationship among these three characteristics was analyzed, and five types of tinnitus were defined from data obtained by the questioning of 346 out-patients. The results were compared with those from 87 in-patients.
(1) The percentages of the types of tinnitus differed between out- and in-patients.
(2) In 74% of the out-patients the tinnitus severity scale was below 9 and in 76% of the inpatients it was 9 or more.
(3) Patients whose scores of annoyance and interference with life activities were higher than those of loudness and patients with scores of 9 or more tended to have physical or psychological problems in addition to their tinnitus.