Low level laser effect in treatment of patients with intractable tinnitus due to sensorineural hearing loss

Tinnitus is defined as a perception of sound without an external acoustic stimulus. Due to large number of causes and limited knowledge of its pathophysiology, tinnitus still remains an obscure symptom. This was a cross-sectional study on 120 patients with tinnitus and sensorineural hearing loss who were randomly divided into two groups; one group received low-level laser and the second group used the same instrument but off, for 20 sessions of 20 minutes. A tinnitus handicap inventory [THI] and Visual Analog Scale [VAS] were used to evaluate the severity of patients' symptoms. Severity and frequency of tinnitus were also determined using Audiometric tests. The average age of the 120 patients in the two groups of study were not statistically significantly different. The mean difference of severity of tinnitus between the two groups was statistically significant at the end of the study and 3 month after completion of treatment. The VAS and THI mean differences after the treatment were statistically significant between the two groups but not statistically significant after 3 months of completion the study. Low level laser radiation is effective for short-term treatment of Tinnitus caused by sensorineural hearing loss and its impact may be reduced over the time

Frequency of hearing impairment among full-term newborns in Yazd, Iran

Permanent congenital hearing loss, a common congenital anomaly, may affect speech and language acquisition, academic achievement and social development. Current standards emphasize early recognition of congenital hearing loss. This study was conducted to find the prevalence of hearing impairment in term newborns in Yazd, Iran. This was a descriptive-analytic study conducted in Yazd on 7250 term newborns. Otoacoustic emissions [OAEs] test was performed in all newborns during the first 24 hours after birth. Those who failed to respond at the first step were retested 15 days later. Those who failed to respond at the second step too, were tested by acoustic brainstem responses [ABR] test. Chi square test was used for data analysis. From 7250 newborns in the first step 598 [8.2%] and 682 [9.4%] ears [right and left, respectively] failed. In the second step 51 [0.7%] and 58 [0.8%] ears [right and left, respectively] failed. Consanguinity and route of delivery had significant effect on the frequency of hearing loss. The overall frequency of congenital hearing loss in this study was found high

Hearing status in neonatal hyperbilirubinemia by auditory brain stem evoked response and transient evoked otoacoustic emission

Hyperbilirubinemia at neonatal period is one of the major deteriorating factors of the auditory system. If left untreated, it may cause certain cerebral damage. This study aims to evaluate the impact of hyperbilirubinemia on the hearing of neonate. This study was conducted on 35 newborn babies with jaundice [bilirubin more than 20 mg/dL]. Auditory brainstem response [ABR] and transient evoked otoacoustic emission [TEOAE] tests were performed, after treatment and one year after. ABR test results indicated that 26 children [74.3%] had normal hearing but 9 [25.7%] suffered from an impairment. As for TEOAE test, 30 children [85.7%] passed whereas the remaining [14.3%] seemed to be failures. The comparative results of the two tests pointed to autonomic neuropathy /autonomic dysreflexia symptoms in 5 babies. Due to the high incidence of Autonomic neuropathy/autonomic dysreflexia among hyperbilirubinemic babies, screening in this regard seems reasonable. Our result emphasizes the necessity of more experiments on the afflicted areas