Changes in Audiometry Results Following Laser Therapy for Tinnitus

Aim: To demonstrate the effect of laser therapy in the treatment of tinnitus with changes in audiometric results. Method: This current study included a total of 30 patients (15 females and 15 males). A laser with a 650 nm wave length at 5 mW was applied to the ear with tinnitus complaint on every consecutive week day for 20 minutes with a break on weekends. The process was continued for 8 weeks and a total of 40 sessions were performed. Pure tone audiometric evaluation between 250-20000 Hz frequency ranges was performed prior to the therapy and was repeated right after and two months after the treatment.Tinnitus scoring was performed before and two months after laser therapy. The results, obtained following therapy, were statistically evaluated. Result: 50% of the patients were female, and 50% were male. The patients’ ages were between 20 and 74. In 7 of the patients, tinnitus was in the left ear, in 11 patients in the right ear and in 12 it was bilateral. The audiometric values of the patients were evaluated in 3 different conditions which included the values before therapy, values after therapy and values at 2 months following treatment. A greater difference was observed particularly in the frequencies above 8000 Hz. A significant difference was also detected in audiometry results after laser therapy (p<0,001). It was found that the difference between males and females was significant after laser therapy (p<0.001). Conclusion: The effect of laser therapy is still controversial. In our study, laser therapy seemed to be effective right after therapy. Although the audiometric values returned to pretreatment levels after 2 months, the tinnitus scores have remained lower compared to the pretreatment scores.