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| Tinnitus is the perception of sound in the
absence of actual external stimulation or sound. It is commonly described
as a ringing noise in one or both ears. Tinnitus is not a disease but a
symptom, which is difficult to measure objectively as it is a subjective
phenomenon.
Tinnitus may have many underlying causes including, but not limited to, cerebral insufficiency, noise-induced hearing loss, ototoxic medication use, head injury, metabolic disorders, and psychiatric disorders. There is presently no one specific therapy for tinnitus that is acknowledged to be satisfactory in all patients. There are a number of reports in medical literature that suggest Ginkgo may be effective in the management of tinnitus. Given that tinnitus may be caused by nerve damage and certain blood vessel disorders (causing cerebral insufficiency), Ginkgo has understandably been investigated as a treatment since it is thought to be neuroprotective as well as an agent for increasing blood flow. While many small, poorly designed studies from the 1980s and 1990s conclude that Ginkgo moderately relieves symptoms, one more recent and well designed study found that Ginkgo given 3 times daily for 3 months was no more effective than placebo in relieving symptoms of tinnitus. A search in the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials from 1966-2003 yielded twelve trials of tinnitus in cerebral insufficiency, but ten of these were excluded on methodological grounds. It seems there is still limited evidence that Ginkgo is effective for tinnitus as a primary complaint, and there is no reliable evidence for its use in tinnitus associated with cerebral insufficiency. Thus, there is a need for additional well designed research to determine the efficacy of ginkgo in treating tinnitus. |