Effect of Tinnitus Retraining Therapy in Normal Hearing Individual with Subjective Tinnitus: An Observational Study.

Abstract

This study was done to study the effect of Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT) in Bilateral Normal Hearing Individual with subjective tinnitus and to evaluate the success of simplified TRT with relation to duration of tinnitus, the patient's age and state of mind. As on date there is no definite cure available for tinnitus, so current TRT focuses on reducing the impact of tinnitus on the patient's quality of life. This study included total fifty (50) participants with bilateral normal hearing sensitivity, who had reported to the department of ENT with a complaint of tinnitus in one or both ears. All the participants are active serving military personnel and their dependents of Indian Armed Forces. All the participants had undergone basic audiological test batteries to assess the hearing acuity followed by TRT and its components (TRT counselling and sound therapy) in randomized manner. Audiological test batteries include pure tone audiometry to make sure that the participants have normal hearing acuity in both the ears and then tinnitus matching i.e. pitch and loudness match and measurement of Uncomfortable Level (UCL) followed by sound therapy and counselling. There was significant improvement reported in impact of tinnitus after completion of six (06) months of TRT schedule. Amongst the participants, 40% reported with complete relief from tinnitus, 30% reported with remarkable benefit but they can still perceive the tinnitus, 20% reported with no benefit with TRT and rest of the 10% were not able to tell whether they have got any benefit or not. Normal hearing individual with tinnitus can be benefitted with TRT accompanied with counselling and the improvement in impact of tinnitus severity that ensued over six months of TRT appear to be vigorous with significant clinical outcomes.