Tinnitus and Headache.

Berthold Langguth,Michael Landgrebe,Jose-Miguel Lainez,Tim P Jürgens,Verena Hund,Volker Busch,Martin Schecklmann

doi:10.1155/2015/797416

Abstract

Background. Tinnitus and headache are frequent disorders. Here, we aimed to investigate whether the occurrence of headache among tinnitus patients is purely coincidental or whether tinnitus and headache are pathophysiologically linked. We investigated a large sample of patients with tinnitus and headache to estimate prevalence rates of different headache forms, to determine the relationship between tinnitus laterality and headache laterality, and to explore the relationship between tinnitus and headache over time. Method. Patients who presented at a tertiary referral center because of tinnitus and reported comorbid headache were asked to complete validated questionnaires to determine the prevalence of migraine and tension-type headache and to assess tinnitus severity. In addition, several questions about the relationship between headache and tinnitus were asked. Results. Datasets of 193 patients with tinnitus and headache were analysed. 44.6% suffered from migraine, 13% from tension-type headache, and 5.7% from both. Headache laterality was significantly related to tinnitus laterality and in the majority of patients fluctuations in symptom severity of tinnitus and headache were interrelated. Conclusion. These findings suggest a significant relationship between tinnitus and headache laterality and symptom interaction over time and argue against a purely coincidental cooccurrence of tinnitus and headache. Both disorders may be linked by common pathophysiological mechanisms.

Highlights

Tinnitus is defined as the perception of sounds in the absence of a corresponding acoustic signal
In order to explore a potential relationship between tinnitus and headache we systematically investigated the occurrence of different headache types in a large sample of tinnitus patients
We used a self-report questionnaire, which has previously been used as a screening instrument in an epidemiological study in Germany [20] and in a study that analysed the relationship between headache and low-back pain [49]

Summary

Introduction

Tinnitus is defined as the perception of sounds in the absence of a corresponding acoustic signal. Many patients with idiopathic tinnitus report headache syndromes as well [18, 19] Since both idiopathic headaches and idiopathic tinnitus are frequent disorders [20, 21], this could be purely coincidental. Patients who presented at a tertiary referral center because of tinnitus and reported comorbid headache were asked to complete validated questionnaires to determine the prevalence of migraine and tension-type headache and to assess tinnitus severity. These findings suggest a significant relationship between tinnitus and headache laterality and symptom interaction over time and argue against a purely coincidental cooccurrence of tinnitus and headache. Both disorders may be linked by common pathophysiological mechanisms

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Conclusion