Comparison of therapeutic masking methods in noise-induced Tinnitus

Tinnitus is a symptom associated with hearing loss at high frequencies in patients with noise-induced hearing loss. The aim of this thesis is to evaluate the change in Tinnitus severity by applying the appropriate masking method (partial or complete white noise masking) to the patient group who had noise-induced Tinnitus and non-noise-induced Tinnitus. From a group of noise-induced Tinnitus patients, 10 of them had partial masking and were included in Group 1; 10 of them had complete masking and were included in Group 2. From a group of non-noise-induced Tinnitus patients, 10 of them had partial masking and were included in Group 3; 10 of them had complete masking and were included in Group 4. All individuals were tested by Pure Tone Audiometry, High Frequency Audiometry, Immittancemetric Evaluation and Distortion Product Ototoacoustic Emission (DPOAE) procedures. By this means, severity and frequency of Tinnitus were determined. Air conduction threshold values of patients in Group 1 and Group 2 were statistically significantly higher than Group 3 and Group 4 (p=0.001; p<0.01). In before and after therapy period, Tinnitus severity values of patients with noise-induced Tinnitus were significantly higher than patients who had non-noise-induced Tinnitus (p=0.001; p<0.01). The percentage of change in severity of tinnitus, after the therapy compared to time before the therapy, was statistically significantly lower in Group 2 than in Group 1 (p=0.009; p<0.01). The percentage of change in severity of tinnitus, after the therapy compared to time before the therapy, was statistically significantly lower in Group 4 than in Group 3 (p=0,007; p<0,01). As a result of the study; when masking methods used in patients with noise-induced Tinnitus compared partial masking method was found to be more effective than complete masking method.