Head Noises Research Articles

TINNITUS AURIUM: Some Considerations Concerning Its Origin and Treatment

BEFORE attacking the subject with which this paper is concerned, noises in the ears, it may be wise to discuss for a moment head noises in general, in order to avoid confusion. The term tinnitus, meaning a ringing, should—strictly speaking— be reserved for the symptom of ringing in the ears (tinnitus aurium). Using the word in the more general sense, however, as it commonly is used, to comprise all varieties of head noises, one may divide the causes of this symptom into two main classes—extrinsic and intrinsic. Extrinsic or false tinnitus results from disturbances which arise outside the auditory tract, and includes not only extraneous sounds but also the large group of psychogenic disturbances. Intrinsic or true tinnitus is the result of some disturbance within the auditory tract itself.1The two classes can usually be readily distinguished by certain clinical features: the character of the noise—for instance, the throbbing of

Head noises and deafness: Peripheral and central

Head noises and deafness: Peripheral and central

The Treatment of Selected Cases of Chronic Catarrhal Deafness by X-rays

A REFERENCE to the treatment of catarrhal deafness and head noises by x-rays occurs as early as 1904 in a paper by Joseph Beck (1), of Chicago. The patient was a woman of 51 who, after four months of conservative treatment for what her physician diagnosed as a chronic catarrhal condition of the middle ear, was submitted to an ossiculectomy. Only partial relief of the ear noises followed. She was then given x-ray treatment to the ears for about three weeks without the slightest relief, whereupon radium was applied directly to the tympanic cavity every day for about six weeks with equally poor results. No mention was made of the x-ray factors. In 1906 Dionisio (2) reported 20 cases treated by x-rays, the patients suffering from chronic suppurative inflammation of the middle ear. Sixteen of these cases were cured, he states. The hearing of many of them also improved. From that time on many papers appeared in the literature describing the effect produced by x-rays or radium on impaired hearing and tinnitus. Desjardins (3) reviewed critically some fifty which appeared up to 1930 and concluded that irradiation may influence tinnitus especially and sometimes also exert a favorable action on hearing. The crudity with which some of the treatments was often conducted must, he believed, undoubtedly account for a certain proportion of the failures. The cases here recorded were all examined by a single otologist and the diagnoses made of chronic catarrhal or secretory deafness. No case of chronic suppurative middle ear disease or otosclerosis was treated knowingly. Each case was referred only after all the customary otological-therapeutic procedures had been practised without avail. Each patient had the commonly accepted hearing tests of whispered and spoken voice, tuning forks, and a modified Rinne before and after the x-ray treatment series. The same x-ray formula was used in the entire series and the physical set-up was checked at frequent intervals to keep the radiation identical as far as could be. From 1929 to 1935, inclusive, 140 patients were treated. Of this group, 73 were improved as to hearing and tinnitus; 65 were unchanged, and two were made worse. In the unchanged group are included 14 cases on which there was no adequate follow-up. Of the improved group, 67 had nine treatments to each ear and six received only eight treatments. Since all of these patients showed improvement and only four cases of the total group who received less than nine treatments showed improvement, I have designated nine treatments as the acceptable course or cycle. There were 20 patients of the 51 followed and classified as unimproved who had nine treatments each. The remainder had as few as two treatments and none more than six. There were 20 cases of the 140 who had tinnitus.

Association News

<h3>MEDICAL BROADCAST FOR THE WEEK</h3> American Medical Association Health Talks The American Medical Association broadcasts on Tuesday and Thursday from 9: 15 to 9: 20 a. m., Chicago daylight saving time, which is one hour faster than central standard time, over Station WBBM (770 kilocycles, or 389.4 meters). The subjects for the week are as follows: August 1. Swimming and Common Sense. August 3. The Will to Win. There is also a fifteen minute talk sponsored by the Association on Saturday morning from 9: 45 to 10 o'clock over Station WBBM. The subject for the week is as follows: August 5. Head Noises.

TIC OF SALPINGOPALATINUS MUSCLE CAUSING SOUND AUDIBLE TO BYSTANDER

A mentally deficient man, aged 30, was brought to my office by his mother because of a ticking in his ears that at times interfered with sleep. Though very frail as an infant, the patient seemed to be well until he was 5 years old when, following a fright, he appeared to be afraid of everything and everybody. He did not do well in school and even with a tutor made little progress. He could not read and was jealous of those who could. He performed simple chores about the farm. In boyhood, he would have convulsions after a fright but he has not had these during recent years. The head noises had been present for at least twelve years. A number of physicians had been consulted and the patient had received many treatments for catarrh. The noises had been worse for the past three months. Up to this point