Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2023 Feb 24;52(1):19. doi: 10.1186/s40463-022-00603-8.
Tinnitus has a significant impact on quality of life and causes considerable psychological distress. Cannabis is known to modulate neuron hyperexcitability, provide protection against auditory damage, and has been used for treatment for many diseases which have physiological similarities with tinnitus. The objective of this study was to survey patients presenting with tinnitus regarding their perspectives and usage patterns of cannabis.
Patients with a primary presenting complaint of tinnitus in a tertiary neuro-otology clinic completed a 18-item questionnaire assessing perception, attitudes, and cannabis usage patterns.
Forty five patients completed the survey (mean age: 54.5 years, 31 females and 14 males). Overall, 96% of patients reported that they would consider cannabis as treatment for their tinnitus. Patients considered cannabis use for auditory symptoms (91%), and symptoms related to their tinnitus, such as emotional complaints (60%), sleep disturbances (64%), and functional disturbances (56%). 36% of patients had previously used cannabis and 22% of patients reported cannabis use at the time of the study. 80% of patients that were actively using cannabis reported that it helped with tinnitus-related symptoms, such as dizziness, anxiety, bodily pain, and sleep disturbances. Most patients would prefer to use edibles (62%), tablet (58%) and cream (47%) formulations of cannabis. Patients were concerned about the cost (29%), potential physical health implications (53%) and psychosocial side effects (60%) of cannabis. Over half of patients learned about cannabis from a friend or family member and only 22% of patients learned about cannabis from a physician or nurse.
Cannabis use is common amongst patients with tinnitus and current users of cannabis reported that it helped with their symptoms. Most patients would consider its use as a potential treatment to alleviate their tinnitus-related symptoms and are interested in learning more regarding its use. By understanding how cannabis is perceived by tinnitus patients, healthcare providers can provide appropriate patient education.
耳鸣对生活质量有重大影响，并导致相当大的心理困扰。大麻可调节神经元兴奋性，防止听觉损伤，并且已被用于治疗许多与耳鸣具有生理相似性的疾病。本研究的目的是调查患有耳鸣的患者对大麻的看法和使用模式。
在一家三级神经耳科诊所，以耳鸣为主诉的患者完成了一项包含 18 个问题的问卷调查，评估了他们对大麻的认知、态度和使用模式。
45 名患者完成了调查（平均年龄：54.5 岁，31 名女性和 14 名男性）。总体而言，96%的患者表示他们会考虑将大麻作为耳鸣的治疗方法。患者认为大麻可用于治疗听觉症状（91%），以及与耳鸣相关的症状，如情绪投诉（60%）、睡眠障碍（64%）和功能障碍（56%）。36%的患者曾使用过大麻，22%的患者在研究时正在使用大麻。80%的正在使用大麻的患者报告说，大麻有助于缓解耳鸣相关症状，如头晕、焦虑、身体疼痛和睡眠障碍。大多数患者更愿意使用大麻的食用形式（62%）、片剂（58%）和乳膏（47%）。患者担心大麻的成本（29%）、潜在的身体健康影响（53%）和心理社会副作用（60%）。超过一半的患者从朋友或家人那里了解到大麻，只有 22%的患者从医生或护士那里了解到大麻。
耳鸣患者中使用大麻很常见，目前使用大麻的患者报告说，大麻对他们的症状有帮助。大多数患者会考虑将其用于潜在治疗，以减轻耳鸣相关症状，并对其使用方法感兴趣。通过了解耳鸣患者对大麻的看法，医疗保健提供者可以提供适当的患者教育。
