Journal Reviews
To question or not to question
Misophonia is a complex condition in which individuals experience a strong negative emotional response to specific sounds, such as chewing, breathing, swallowing or foot tapping. These reactions are not primarily determined by the volume of the sound. Although relatively few...
Quicker than reading the BNF
It has long struck me that it might be helpful to search medication-induced side effects by symptom, rather than having to look up each individual drug. For many years, there have also been regularly cited categories of medications to be...
A dizzying response to the silent killer
In this recent case control report by Kandemir and colleagues, we are asked to consider the association between hypertensive disease and hearing impairment, tinnitus and dizziness. A 200-strong cohort of normotensive and newly-diagnosed hypertensive patients underwent pure tone audiometry, Tinnitus...
Where is that sound? Not every hot tub is a jacuzzi
Evidence suggests that the incidence of sound sensitivity and general noise intolerance is increasing. Studies have suggested that the incidence of hyperacusis is between 8% and 15.2% of the adult population. There is a correlation between the prevalence of hyperacusis...
You’re under arrest, you damned post-tonsillectomy bleed!
Tonsillectomy is a common, well-tolerated procedure most commonly performed in children for recurrent tonsilitis and sleep apnoea. Post-tonsillectomy bleeding (PTB) is a relatively uncommon complication that poses significant risks to patients and high rates of readmission and reintervention. Institutional guidance...
Posterior TM perforations carry greater hearing loss: practical pointers for clinic
This single-centre prospective study of 100 adults with central pars tensa perforations examined how perforation size and quadrant relate to hearing loss. Using video-otoscopy to estimate perforation area and pure tone audiometry for thresholds, the authors found hearing loss in...
Auricular acupuncture for tinnitus
Acupuncture has long been suggested as a complementary option for tinnitus, but its effectiveness remains uncertain. This systematic review analysed 57 studies published between 1975 and 2023, drawn from an initial 167 identified. The studies were highly variable, ranging from...
Spirituality and tinnitus – blocking out the haters!
The brain is fantastic at blocking out unwanted noise. Place a microphone on your temporal bone and you’ll realise you are subject to a relentless bombardment of sound you’ll never consciously hear: the clicking of your temporomandibular joint, the pulsating...
Not to be mis-underestimated
It is a very rare occurrence to find a paper looking at NF2 and the auditory system. There seems to only be a couple on NF2 prevalence in the population, so this is unsurprising. As far as I can recall...
Help seeking for tinnitus – experiences of the diagnostic and treatment process
Population-based and self-selecting adult participants of this Australian cohort study (n=281) completed survey questions exploring varied outcome measures related to tinnitus. Primary outcomes assessed communication of initial tinnitus diagnoses and subsequent treatment offering, with participants rating their satisfaction at the...
Are we now safe at work?
Fifty years is a long time, yet the years pass in a blink of an eye. Where are we in comparison to where we were then, in terms of the occupational protection from noise exposure and ototoxicity, other than being...
All present and correct
You have ear protection, but are you using it properly? What are the risks over time? The design of standard earplugs has changed a lot in a decade. Earplug attenuation did reduce over time but still remained safe, however the...
