Abstract
Introduction:
Tinnitus is defined as the perception of sound without its actual presence in the environment. It has been the subject of a great number of studies, especially considering its consequences on patient's quality of life.
Objective:
This study aimed to investigate the effect of hearing aids and/or Ginkgo biloba extract EGb 761 on tinnitus in patients with hearing loss.
Methods:
This is a trial randomized-controlled treatment, parallel, double-blind, with three-arm. Thirty-three adults subjects were divided into three groups: group 1 — subjects undergoing drug therapy with Ginkgo biloba extract EGb 761; group 2 — individuals fitted with digital hearing aids; group 3 — individuals submitted to drug therapy with Ginkgo biloba extract EGb 761 and using hearing aids. The tinnitus handicap inventory and visual analogue scale were used to evaluate self-perception of tinnitus loudness and severity before treatment and 90 days after treatment.
Results:
This study demonstrated a significant correlation between tinnitus handicap inventory and visual analogue scale, before and after treatment. We observed a significant improvement in self-perception of tinnitus loudness and severity after 90 days of treatment with Ginkgo biloba extract EGb 761 and/or hearing aids. No correlation was found between tinnitus onset time and self-perception of tinnitus loudness and severity. Hearing aids were more effective in patients with a shorter tinnitus onset time and Ginkgo biloba extract was effective regardless of tinnitus duration.
Conclusions:
It was possible to prove the effectiveness of the hearing aids and/or Ginkgo biloba extract EGb 761 treatment, which shows success in the control of tinnitus contributing to the improvement of this symptom.
KEYWORDS
Ginkgo biloba
; Hearing aids; Hearing loss; Tinnitus