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Tinnitus: Diagnosis and Management.

American family physician
January 1, 1970
Sarah N Dalrymple et al. (3 authors)
Journal ArticleReviewHuman Study
Study Details

Study Goal

The researchers aimed to evaluate whether melatonin could help with sleep disturbances in patients with tinnitus.

Results Summary

The abstract suggests melatonin may help with sleep disturbance in tinnitus patients, but evidence is inconclusive and not strongly supported by the study.

Population

Patients with tinnitus experiencing sleep disturbances.

Effective Dosage

Not specified

Duration

Not specified

Interactions

None mentioned

Extracted Claims (7)
InterventionDirectionEndpointPopulationDosageImpactClaim #
Cognitive behavior therapy
increase
quality of life
patients with tinnitus
-
has been shown to improve
#1
Sound therapy
no change
-
-
-
evidence is inconclusive
#2
Tinnitus retraining therapy
no change
-
-
-
evidence is inconclusive
#3
Melatonin
decrease
sleep disturbance
-
-
may help with
#4
Antidepressants
decrease
mood disorders
-
-
may help with
#5
Cognitive training
decrease
cognitive impairments
-
-
may help with
#6
Avoidance of noise exposure
decrease
development or progression of tinnitus
-
-
may help prevent
#7
Abstract

Tinnitus is the sensation of hearing a sound in the absence of an internal or external source and is a common problem encountered in primary care. Most cases of tinnitus are benign and idiopathic and are strongly associated with sensorineural hearing loss. A standard workup begins with a targeted history and physical examination to identify treatable causes and associated symptoms that may improve with treatment. Less common but potentially dangerous causes such as vascular tumors and vestibular schwannoma should be ruled out. A comprehensive audiologic evaluation should be performed for patients who experience unilateral tinnitus, tinnitus that has been present for six months or longer, or that is accompanied by hearing problems. Neuroimaging is not part of the standard workup unless the tinnitus is asymmetric or unilateral, pulsatile, associated with focal neurologic abnormalities, or associated with asymmetric hearing loss. Cognitive behavior therapy is the only treatment that has been shown to improve quality of life in patients with tinnitus. Sound therapy and tinnitus retraining therapy are treatment options, but evidence is inconclusive. Melatonin, antidepressants, and cognitive training may help with sleep disturbance, mood disorders, and cognitive impairments, respectively. Avoidance of noise exposure may help prevent the development or progression of tinnitus. Providing information about the natural progression of tinnitus and being familiar with the causes that warrant additional evaluation, imaging, and specialist involvement are essential to comprehensive care.

Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
Hearing TestsHumansMedical History TakingPhysical ExaminationRisk FactorsTinnitus
Study Links
PubMed ID34060792
Quality Scores
SafetyNot Assessed
Efficacy60/10
Quality50/10
Citation Metrics
Total Citations35
Citations/Year8.8
Relative Citation Ratio4.83
NIH Percentile92.7%
Research Impact Scores
APT Score0.95
Weight Score1.39
Normalized Score0.54
Related Supplements
Tinnitus: Diagnosis and Management. | Panacea Index