Treatment of hyperacusis in tinnitus patients.

Patients with tinnitus very often suffer from hyperacusis also. Methods and Patients: In the present study a possible treatment for patients with bila teral hyperacusis is introduced and the therapeutical results of 41 patient s suffering from bilateral hyperacusis combined with a uni- or bilateral ti nnitus are discussed. Twenty-one of them also had a cochlear hearing loss. By means of white noise generators or hearing aids and a specific acoustic training the auditory input to the central nervous system was increased. Al l patients were taught a method to reduce stress (Progressive muscle relaxa tion according to Jacobson). Uncomfortable loudness levels were analysed be fore as well as 3 weeks and 6 months after beginning of the treatment. Resu lts: By the time of 3 weeks the discomfort from ordinary sounds was distinc tly reduced and the reduction progressed further after 6 months of treatmen t. In more than 50% of the participants the uncomfortable loudness levels c ould be raised to a normal range. Interestingly the improvement of hyperacu sis was independent of an existing hearing loss. Conclusions: The described method of treatment seems to be helpful for patients with hyperacusis and will be compared to other therapeutical regimes.