Comparison of customized therapy, conventional therapy and medical treatment in tinnitus patients. Randomized controlled trial.

Background and Aim: In this study, we aimed to compare the effectiveness of masking therapy and drug therapy, which are routinely used in our clinic, and customized tinnitus therapy, which is not used in our clinic but has been used more recently in the literature, on clinical symptoms. Methods: Three treatment groups consisting of 50 patients were determined by block randomization among 150 patients who were diagnosed with subjective tinnitus between November 2020 and April 2021 in our clinic and met the study criteria. Cinnarizine, masking and customized therapy were applied prospectively to the patients. All patients were evaluated with THI (Tinnitus Handicap Inventory) before treatment, at the 1st month and at the 2nd month. The gender, age and THI values of the patients were compared each other. Results: In THI evaluations among the study groups; Among the THI averages of the patients receiving cinnarizine treatment; A statistically significant difference was found between THI-I and THI-II and THI-III (p = 0.001). There was no statistically significant difference between THI-II and THI-III (p = 0.336). A statistically significant difference was found between the THI averages of the patients who received masking therapy (p = 0.001). A statistically significant difference was found between the THI averages of the patients who received customized therapy (p = 0.001). Conclusion: A significant improvement in THI values was achieved in all patients regardless of treatment. While the effectiveness of customized therapy and masking therapy increased during the treatment, cinnarizine treatment showed its maximum effect in the first month. Among the treatment modalities, it was seen that customized therapy was the most successful treatment method. Keywords: Tinnitus, Customized Therapy.