METHOD FOR TREATING SUBJECTIVE EAR NOISE BY AURICULAR PERCUTANEOUS ELECTRICAL STIMULATION OF VAGUS NERVE Russian patent published in 2022 - IPC A61H39/00 

FIELD: medicine.

SUBSTANCE: invention refers to medicine, namely to otorhinolaryngology. Therapeutic effect on the body is carried out with a controlled electric current by means of an electrode installed in the area of the auricle shuttle. Before the treatment, the patient undergoes a hearing examination, which includes: noise metering using an audiometer to assess the height and intensity of subjective ear noise, an assessment of the noise intensity by a visual analogue scale, determination of the initial vegetative tone and vegetative responsiveness by performing a clino-orthostatic test and calculating the Kerdo vegetative index. Auricular percutaneous electrical stimulation of the vagus nerve is performed using an external zonal electrode placed in the area of the left auricle shuttle with current intensity of 10 mA and frequency of 1 to 30 Hz. Intensity of the stimulus frequency is selected from 1 Hz and gradually increased until the patient develops a tingling sensation in the area of the shuttle. Sessions are performed daily for 14 days for 10 minutes. Treatment is carried out under pulse control, SpO₂ saturation and Kerdo vegetative index before and after each procedure. Criterion for withdrawal of treatment is the appearance of any of the signs: itching or hyperaemia in the stimulation zone, persistent pulse change towards bradycardia or tachycardia, reduced SpO₂ saturation level, increased ear noise, shift of vegetative tone indices towards evident sympathicotonia or parasympathicotonia after the procedure. Criterion for the effectiveness of treatment after the end of the course in comparison with the initial values is the appearance of any of the signs: a decrease in the intensity of subjective ear noise by more than 5 dB according to noise metering data, change of values of visual analogue scale towards reduction of strength of subjective ear noise by 2 and more points, shift of values of initial vegetative tone and vegetative responsiveness towards normotonia according to data of Kerdo vegetative index.

EFFECT: method enables the non-invasive method with high efficiency to provide a reduction in the intensity of subjective ear noise and normalization of the tone of the autonomic nervous system.

1 cl, 3 ex