Short-course personalized acoustic therapy may increase tinnitus remission in patients with idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss

1. For adults with idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss and acute tinnitus, short-course inpatient personalized acoustic therapy may increase long-term tinnitus remission in patients with severe hearing loss. 

Evidence Rating Level: 1 (Excellent) 

Idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss frequently presents with acute tinnitus, yet evidence for acoustic therapy remains limited. This two-stage multicenter trial randomized 213 adults with recent-onset idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss and bothersome tinnitus at 19 hospitals in China to 10 days of international standard care (systemic steroids), Chinese standard care (steroids plus batroxobin), or either regimen combined with daily inpatient personalized acoustic therapy. The primary endpoint was short-term tinnitus remission; secondary outcomes included validated tinnitus questionnaires, visual analogue scales for tinnitus and hearing loss, mood, sleep, and quality of life. Over the initial 10 days, tinnitus remission and changes in all secondary measures did not differ significantly between any of the four groups. During six-month follow-up, patients with severe hearing loss who continued home-based acoustic therapy had higher tinnitus remission (45.5% vs 20.0%), without consistent advantages in other domains, suggesting a delayed, severity-dependent benefit.

Click here to read this study in BMC Medicine

Image: PD

©2025 2 Minute Medicine, Inc. All rights reserved. No works may be reproduced without expressed written consent from 2 Minute Medicine, Inc. Inquire about licensing here. No article should be construed as medical advice and is not intended as such by the authors or by 2 Minute Medicine, Inc.