Prospective Study on the Effectiveness of Low-Laser Therapy in the Treatment of Tinnitus

Background and Aim: It is estimated that 10–15% of the general population suffers from tinnitus, including 60% of all otologic patients. Quality of life is reportedly affected in approximately 0.5% of tinnitus patients. The aim of this study is to investigate the role of low-laser therapy in alleviating the symptoms of tinnitus.

Material and Methods: Seventeen tinnitus patients (8 men, 9 women) were included in the study. Tinnitus was identified by the patients either as their sole complaint, or as symptom within the context of other otologic diseases. A 0–5 Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) was used to personally quantify the severity of patients' symptoms. Treatment included the use of an external laser beam in the periauricular area and the external auditory canal, which was produced either by a GaAlAs (808 nm, 450 mW), or by a GaAs (904 nm, 240 mW) laser, for 4 and 2 minutes, respectively. The mean number of sessions for each patient was 17, and the mean duration of therapy was 4 weeks.

Results: With regard to the severity of symptoms, the pretreatment mean score was 4.3, and the respected number after the intervention was 3.2. There was a consistent trend toward symptom improvement; however, the results were not statistically significant due to the small sample size. No side effects or deterioration of symptoms was reported.

Conclusion: Low-laser therapy does seem to have some effect in alleviating tinnitus. However, additional studies are necessary to prove the actual efficacy of this treatment mode and to establish superior outcomes compared with placebo.