The analysis of masking therapy in the early stage of the patients with noise-induced tinnitus / 临床耳鼻咽喉头颈外科杂志

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the effect of masking therapy for the early stage of the patients with noise-induced tinnitus,and imply the treatment for patients with noise-induced tinnitus.@*METHOD@#Sixty-eight cases with tinnitus were studied. All the patients took the audiological examinations and tinnitus tests firstly, and accepted the masking therapy for 6 months. The therapeutic effiency was evaluated according to tinnitus handicap inventory (THI) and subjective visual-analogue scale (VAS). The minimum masking intensity was also evaluated.@*RESULT@#The majority of the patients with noise-induced tinnitus (59 cases, 86. 8%) had tinnitus frequency of 4 kHz,and most of them (44 cases, 64. 7%) had positive residual inhibition tests. Tinnitus completely disappeared in 3 cases after masking therapy, and the efficiency of this treatment is 83. 8%. There was significant difference in the scores of THI and VAS before and after therapy(P<0. 01), and there was also significant difference in the minimum masking intensity (P<0. 01).@*CONCLUSION@#Masking therapy is the most important treatment for the patients in the early stage of noise-induced tinnitus. The therapeutic effiency is significant and should be promoted.