INTRODUCTION
Tinnitus is the most common ear disease and represents a global
issue(1, 2),
with a prevalence of 5.1-42.7% around the world and increases with age.
(3) Guidelines of different countries
stratify chronic tinnitus differently, with 3 months in
Japan(4) and 6 months in China, USA and
Europe(1, 5,
6). According to guidelines, acute
tinnitus resolves spontaneously(1,
7), but patients with chronic tinnitus are
less likely to achieve
self-improvement(1); however, that may not
be correct. Previous studies on chronic tinnitus have shown that 20-50%
of patients may heal within 5 years(8,
9).
Tinnitus is only a clinical symptom with complex etiology. Although
hearing loss is indeed an initiating factor for tinnitus, the
association is not simple and direct
(10). Among the various classifications
and severities of hearing loss, sudden hearing loss has the most
definite association with tinnitus as more than 80% of SSNHL cases have
been found to be accompanied by tinnitus
(11). Tinnitus in SSNHL patients often
lasts for more than 6 months. Although several studies have focused on
the prognosis of tinnitus accompanied by SSNHL, the follow-up times were
mostly within 1 year(12-16). Therefore,
we investigated the long-term outcomes of tinnitus in 161 patients with
SSNHL after standard treatments. We also analyzed possible factors
affecting tinnitus recovery to provide clarification and counseling for
patients with residual tinnitus after SSNHL to build reasonable
confidence and set appropriate expectations.