ON THE ISSUE OF TINNITUS TREATMENT

Abstract

Tinnitus – the perception of sound in the absence of actual external sound - is a symptom of an underlying condition rather than a separate disease. Its manifestations are often a sign of some neurological and vascular disorders. And unfortunately, tinnitus can significantly affect the quality of patient’s life, making social interaction and labor activity difficult. Treatments for tinnitus include pharmacotherapy, cognitive and behavioral therapy, sound therapy, music therapy, tinnitus retraining therapy, massage and stretching, and electrical suppression. According to six large population-based studies, the incidence of tinnitus among adults in different countries varies from 4.4 to 15.1% and from 7.6 to 20.1% in the age group over 50 years. Also, most of these patients tend to emotionally color their ear noise, and therefore the characteristics and degree of its influence on the quality of life are very individual. Tinnitus treatment includes pharmacotherapy, cognitive and behavioral therapy, sound therapy, music therapy, tinnitus retraining therapy, massage and stretching, and electrical suppression. Despite the prevalence of the problem, the question of the etiology and pathogenesis of tinnitus has not been fully studied at the moment. The search for new treatment methods is aimed not only at improving sound perception, but also at eliminating the accompanying noise, which can cause unbearable suffering to a person. In this work the authors tried to consider the characteristics, causes, mechanisms, and methods of treating tinnitus.