Abstract: Tinnitus is the perception of sound in the absence of any external stimulus. It has a prevalence rate of 6.7% in India and ranges from 5.1% to 42.7% across the globe. The word Karnanada (~tinnitus) is self-explanatory, which means Nada (~rhythmic sound in ear) in the Karna (~ear). Even though various treatment modalities have been mentioned in the conventional system of medicine, there is no definitive cure for chronic tinnitus. A case report of a 27-year-old male with a ringing sound in the left ear for one year, along with disturbed sleep, has been presented here. The patient was diagnosed as Karnanada based on the clinical history, and managed with Ayurveda interventions including Karnapurana (~filling of ear with medicated liquid) with Bilwa taila , Viddha karma (~therapeutic needle piercing), Yoga basti (~course of eight therapeutic enemas) consisting of Aasthapana basti (~therapeutic decoction enema) with Erandamooladi niruha and Anuvasana basti (~therapeutic unctuous enema) with Mahanarayana taila , and internal administration of capsule Ksheerabala (101 Avarti ). The efficacy of the treatment protocol was evaluated by the Tinnitus Severity Index, the Tinnitus-Visual Analog Scale (T-VAS), and Pure-Tone Audiometry. There was improvement in the scores of the assessment scales with a marked reduction in the Tinnitus Severity index and T-VAS Score, along with improvement in sleep and recovery from mild conductive hearing loss after treatment. The therapeutic interventions such as Karnapurana , Viddha karma , and Basti help control the vitiated Sarvadaihika (~whole body) Vata (~ Dosha responsible for movement and cognition), and treatment induces a control over Sthanika (~local) Dosha , thereby providing effective management of the disease condition.
Patil et al. (Wed,) studied this question.