Electronystagmography profile in unilateral profound sensorineural hearing loss

Forty two patients with profound sensorineural hearing loss for more than 5 years were examined by electronystagmography [ENG] to evaluate their vestibular function. Their age range was 20 - 45 years. They had no complaint of imbalance and on examination there was no spontaneous nystagmus, no nystagmus on gaze or positional tests and they showed normal saccadic, smooth pursuit and optokinetic test results. Bithermal caloric test showed weaker response recorded from either ear of the study group when referenced to the normal subjects; however, fixation suppression index was normal. There was no significant unilateral weakness of the ear with hearing loss compared to the normal ear of the same subjects. These findings could be attributed to one of the compensation mechanisms, which suppress the normal ear and stimulate the affected ear

Relation between tinnitus and temporomandibular disorder therapy

Twenty-eight adult patients with temporomandibular joint disease [TMD] associated with tinnitus were prospectively studied before and after conservative treatment of TMD. The aim of the study was to determine the effect of treatment of TMD on tinnitus. Treatment of TMD resulted in an improvement of tinnitus in 67.9% of the cases. The patients who showed an improvement of their tinnitus were usually young and their tinnitus was not severe and had a positive relation to TMD