Role of Vitamin D in Tinnitus and its Therapeutic Impact on Symptom Severity: A Prospective Study

Tinnitus is the perception of sound in the absence of an external auditory stimulus with multifactorial etiology. Vitamin D receptors are present in the inner ear and may influence the auditory function. However, evidence regarding the influence of vitamin D deficiency on tinnitus remains limited. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among patients with tinnitus and to evaluate the effect of vitamin D supplementation on tinnitus severity. This prospective study included 57 adults with chronic tinnitus and sensorineural hearing loss. All participants underwent pure tone audiometry and serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D estimation. Participants with vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency (< 30 ng/mL) received oral vitamin D supplementation (60,000 IU weekly) for 12 weeks. Tinnitus severity was assessed using the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) at baseline and 3 months after completing supplementation. Pre- and post-supplementation scores were compared statistically. Serum Vitamin D was less than 30ng/ml in 47.4% of the participants. Mean THI grade reduced from 2.74 ± 1.228 to 1.89 ± 1.368 (p < 0.001) and mean VAS score reduced from 2.70 ± 0.869 at baseline to 1.74 ± 1.196 (p < 0.001), following vitamin D supplementation. A shift towards lower THI grade were also observed following vitamin D supplementation. However no significant association was found between baseline vitamin D level and tinnitus severity. Vitamin D deficiency is common among patients with tinnitus. Vitamin D supplementation resulted in significant improvement in tinnitus severity and subjective distress in deficient individuals suggesting vitamin D as a modifiable risk factor for tinnitus. Routine screening for vitamin D deficiency may be considered in patients with chronic tinnitus and appropriate supplementation to be given to improve symptom burden and quality of life.