Relationship between Clinically Diagnosed Tinnitis and Serum Zinc Level

Abstract

A questionnaire concerning the loudness and continuity of tinnitis was administered to 194 patients who had been diagnosed with tinnitis. These patients also underwent pitch match and loudness balance tests. Zinc levels were measured in 22 of the 194 patients. Serum zinc level was less than 70 μg/dl in 15 of these patients. Zinc (polaplesing 150 mg/day) was administered to these 15 patients daily for at least 1 month. The serum zinc level was subsequently measured in 10 patients. Zinc levels had recovered in all of the patients. The influence of zinc on tinnitis was then examined with the questionnaire and loudness balance test in these 10 patients. Tinnitis decreased in 4 patients according to their score on the loudness balance test, suggesting that zinc exerts a positive effect on tinnitis in some patients.