Tinnitus, i.e., the subjective perception of sound without an external source, is a common symptom of various medical conditions. In multiple ancient medical texts, descriptions of tinnitus-like symptoms can be found, but a comprehensive overview is lacking. Here, we collect and describe sources from ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, India, Greece, the Roman Empire, and China. Based on these text segments, we demonstrate how tinnitus has been known since antiquity. In the second part of the article, we give an overview of contemporary tinnitus care and treatment, demonstrating how a multidisciplinary diagnostic workup is crucial, and how the correct diagnosis of tinnitus is important for neurological differential diagnosis.
Keywords: Chinese antiquity; Greek antiquity; History of neurology; Indian antiquity; Menière’s disease; Tinnitus; Vertigo; Vestibular paroxysmia.
© 2026. The Author(s).