What Is Reactive Tinnitus?

As many of us know, there are many ways to classify tinnitus, depending on the criteria used:

• By its presence over time:
  constant / intermittent / pulsatile
• By how it develops over time:
  stable / changing (like a melody)
• By the number of sounds:
  single-frequency (just one sound) / multi-frequency
  (several sounds)
• By the type or quality of the sound:
  single-timbre (one type of sound) / multi-timbre (several)
• By primary or initial causes:
  objective (mechanical causes) / subjective (more neurological in origin)
• By general location:
  central (in the brain) / peripheral (in the ear)
• By whether the cause is known:
  idiopathic (unknown cause) / non-idiopathic (known cause)

And to all these ways of classifying tinnitus, we can add one more:

• Reactive / Non-reactive

Reactive tinnitus refers to tinnitus that reacts negatively to sound or noise — and not necessarily loud noise. This means that when someone is exposed to sounds (even moderate or normal levels), the tinnitus can become more intense or aggressive.

When tinnitus is non-reactive, sound doesn’t have a direct impact on its intensity. This type tends to be more stable overall.

Reactive tinnitus is often found in people who also suffer from hyperacusis.

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