Tinnitus: The Daily PANCE Blueprint

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Tinnitus: The Daily PANCE Blueprint

A 72-year-old man presents with 5 months of continuous ringing in both ears. It occurs day and night. He finds it very irritating. Audiometry confirms sensorineural hearing loss bilaterally. Tinnitus is negatively impacting his quality of life. Which of the following is the most appropriate management?

A. Gabapentin therapy
B. Hearing aids
C. Intratympanic steroid injection
D. Transcranial magnetic stimulation
E. Zinc supplementation

Answer and topic summary

The answer is B) Hearing aids

The patient has chronic, bothersome tinnitus caused by sensorineural hearing loss as confirmed by audiometry. The most appropriate management is hearing aids to help amplify external sounds and mask the internal phantom noise perceptions. Oral and intratympanic agents have variable efficacy and side effects. Transcranial magnetic stimulation is still investigational. Zinc is no better than placebo.

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Smarty PANCE Content Blueprint Review:

Covered under ⇒ PANCE Blueprint EENT ⇒ Ear Disorders (PEARLS) ⇒ Other abnormalities of the ear (PEARLS) ⇒ Tinnitus