From the Guidelines
Tinnitus is not typically associated with temporal artery issues, though both conditions can occur in the same patient, and if you're experiencing both symptoms, they likely represent separate conditions requiring different treatments. Temporal arteritis (giant cell arteritis) primarily causes headaches, scalp tenderness, jaw claudication, and vision problems, while tinnitus is characterized by ringing or buzzing sounds in the ears without external stimuli 1. The American Academy of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery Foundation (AAO-HNS) guidelines recommend targeted history and clinical examination as the initial evaluation and determination as to whether the tinnitus is bothersome or not, before any imaging 1.
Key Considerations
- Tinnitus can be classified as pulsatile or nonpulsatile, and the type of tinnitus often determines the choice of imaging studies and their appropriateness 1.
- The ACR Appropriateness Criteria topics for “Hearing Loss and/or Vertigo” 1, “Head Trauma” 1, and “Cerebrovascular Diseases-Aneurysm, Vascular Malformation, and Subarachnoid Hemorrhage” 1 should be used to guide imaging in those settings.
- Patients with unilateral or asymmetrical nonpulsatile tinnitus with additional neurological, otological, and head and neck symptoms are more likely to have an underlying causative pathology than patients with no additional symptoms or patients with bilateral tinnitus 1.
Management
- For temporal arteritis, immediate medical attention is crucial as it's treated with high-dose corticosteroids (typically prednisone 40-60mg daily) to prevent vision loss, with gradual tapering over months under medical supervision.
- Tinnitus management includes addressing underlying causes (hearing loss, medication side effects, ear infections), sound therapy, hearing aids if appropriate, and sometimes medications like low-dose antidepressants or anti-anxiety medications for severe cases 1.
- If you're experiencing head pain with tinnitus, seek prompt medical evaluation to rule out temporal arteritis, which requires urgent treatment to prevent serious complications.
From the Research
Temporal Artery and Tinnitus
- There is no direct evidence in the provided studies that links temporal artery and tinnitus.
- Temporal arteritis, also known as giant cell arteritis (GCA), is a systemic vasculitis that predominantly involves the temporal arteries 2, 3, 4, 5.
- The studies focus on the diagnosis, treatment, and clinical presentation of temporal arteritis, but do not mention tinnitus as a symptom or associated condition.
- Tinnitus is discussed in a separate study as a common problem encountered in primary care, with most cases being benign and idiopathic, and strongly associated with sensorineural hearing loss 6.
- The study on tinnitus mentions that less common but potentially dangerous causes such as vascular tumors should be ruled out, but does not specifically mention temporal arteritis or temporal artery as a cause of tinnitus 6.