Tinnitus is a heterogeneous percept that becomes a disorder when it is accompanied by clinically meaningful distress or functional impairment. Hearing loss is a major contributor, while temporomandibular, cervical, sleep, psychological, and contextual factors can shape symptom expression....
✦ The floor
Discussion
Signed responses from readers of the wire.
Audiologists managing tinnitus patients should consider coordinated referral pathways to dentistry and physiotherapy when jaw, neck, or somatic factors are identified, though the evidence base for this integrated model requires further validation before widespread adoption.
A structured, phenotype-guided multi-disciplinary tinnitus framework could improve patient outcomes by moving care beyond a single-specialty model, potentially elevating audiology's role as a coordinator in tinnitus management.
- 01Proposes a phenotype-guided model — meaning treatment is tailored to the specific type/cause of a patient's tinnitus.
- 02Integrates otolaryngology (ear, nose, and throat medicine), dentistry, and physiotherapy into a single care pathway.
- 03Hearing loss is identified as a primary contributing factor to tinnitus in this framework.
- 04The model is conceptual/expert-opinion in nature rather than based on a clinical trial.
- 05Somatic (body-related) and dental contributors to tinnitus are given formal treatment roles.
Hearing loss is a major contributing factor to tinnitus.
guidelinesupportedA multi-integrated, phenotype-guided approach spanning otolaryngology, dentistry, and physiotherapy improves tinnitus care outcomes.
opinionpartially supported- PMID
- 42942176
- DOI
- 10.3390/life16101588.
- Journal
- Life
- Publication type
- review
- Evidence level
- 5
- Population
- Tinnitus patients with varied contributing factors including hearing loss, dental, and musculoskeletal conditions
- Intervention
- Multi-integrated, phenotype-guided care model spanning otolaryngology, dentistry, and physiotherapy
Primary outcomes
Proposed clinical framework applicability for tinnitus phenotype classification; Identification of cross-disciplinary treatment targets for tinnitus