Tinnitus of vestibular origin

Abstract

During the exercises devised by Seymont and/or Epley for rehabilitation of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, we observed that the accompanying tinnitus disappeared immediately in some patients. Following this observation and using the same maneuver, we examined two groups of patients. The first group included 86 patients with continuous tinnitus, or tinnitus in specific head/body positions. whose origination was associated with recent vestibular symptomatology. The second group included 100 patients with positional tinnitus, but without any vestibular disorder. Ages ranged between 35 and 78 years and gender distribution was 114 females and 72 males. It was shown that 29 patients in the first group (33.2%) and 18 patients in the second group (18%) could be released from their tinnitus. Eleven patients in the first group (12.7%) and 7 patients in the second group (7%) noticed a reduction of their tinnitus. These results show that in the above-mentioned cases relief of vestibular symptoms alleviates the tinnitus. This could be mediated by a reduction in autonomic activity, known to affect tinnitus.