Influencing factors of the long-term prognosis for residual
tinnitus after SSNHL
Based on the results of two
follow-ups, we divided the final tinnitus prognoses of all the subjects
into cured (including grades 0 and 1) and uncured. First, the univariate
Cox regression analysis was used to screen the possible influencing
factors (Table 3). The analysis showed that the laterality of SSNHL and
the initial tinnitus degree may be related to the long-term prognosis of
tinnitus (P < 0.05). Then, the duration before
treatment (0.05 < P < 0.10), the laterality
of SSNHL, and initial level of tinnitus, as well as hearing recovery at
discharge, which was not statistically remarkable but was clinically
remarkable, were all included in the multivariate Cox regression
analysis. The results showed that the initial level of tinnitus was an
independent factor for the long-term prognosis of residual tinnitus
after SSNHL.
Finally, the healing rates of patients with different initial tinnitus
levels were calculated using the Kaplan–Meier method (Figure 2).
Moreover, the median healing time of patients with different initial
tinnitus levels can be used to predict the healing time of tinnitus for
patients with different initial levels (Table 4). The analysis showed
that tinnitus at all levels tended to heal with time. A higher initial
degree of tinnitus corresponded to a prolonged healing time. The median
times for tinnitus healing for patients with initial tinnitus levels of
1 to 5 were as follows: 1.00 ± 0.00 months, 21.00 ± 4.50 months, 33.00 ±
3.76 months, and 37.00 ± 11.50 months, respectively. The median recovery
time for all cases was 23.00 ± 3.80 months (Table 4).