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[Therapy of hyperacusis in patients with tinnitus]
E A Ziegler1, K Gosepath, W Mann
1Universitätsklinik für Hals-, Nasen- und Ohrenheilkunde, Mainz.
Background:
Patients with tinnitus very often suffer from hyperacusis also.
Methods And Patients:
In the present study a possible treatment for patients with bilateral hyperacusis is introduced and the therapeutical results of 41 patients suffering from bilateral hyperacusis combined with a uni- or bilateral tinnitus are discussed. Twenty-one of them also had a cochlear hearing loss. By means of white noise generators or hearing aids and a specific acoustic training the auditory input to the central nervous system was increased. All patients were taught a method to reduce stress (Progressive muscle relaxation according to Jacobson). Uncomfortable loudness levels were analysed before as well as 3 weeks and 6 months after beginning of the treatment.
Results:
By the time of 3 weeks the discomfort from ordinary sounds was distinctly reduced and the reduction progressed further after 6 months of treatment. In more than 50% of the participants the uncomfortable loudness levels could be raised to a normal range. Interestingly the improvement of hyperacusis was independent of an existing hearing loss.
Conclusions:
The described method of treatment seems to be helpful for patients with hyperacusis and will be compared to other therapeutical regimes.