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New Guidelines for Treatment of Bothersome Tinnitus

For the first time, the American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery Foundation has published guidelines in order to provide clinicians with evidence-based suggestions to help them manage their patients’ persistent tinnitus.

The guidelines make the following recommendations for clinicians:

  • Give an audiologic examination when tinnitus is persistent or unilateral, or when hearing problems are evident in patients, which could decrease symptoms if treated early.
  • Evaluate the history and conduct a physical exam of a patient when primary tinnitus is suspected.
  • Educate tinnitus patients with follow-up care and management strategies
  • Recommend cognitive behavioral therapy to patients with tinnitus.
  • Suggest a hearing aid evaluation for tinnitus patients with documented hearing loss.

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The panel advises against treating patients (with bothersome tinnitus) with antidepressants, anxiolytics, anticonvulsants, or intratympanic medications, dietary supplements such as ginkgo biloba, zinc, and melatonin, or transcranial magnetic stimulation.

The guidelines provided no suggestions on the impact of acupuncture on bothersome tinnitus symptoms.

The complete guidelines are published in the October issue of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery.

-Michelle Canales

Reference:

Tunkel DE, Bauer CA, Sun GH, et al. Clinical Practice Guideline. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2014 October [epub ahead of print] doi: 10.1177/0194599814545325. http://oto.sagepub.com/content/151/2_suppl/S1.full.pdf+html