Drug treatments for tinnitus: the Tulane experience.

It has recently been estimated that 12 million Americans have a severe form of tinnitus and that nearly 40 million Americans suffer from some form of tinnitus-related complaints [1]. The nature of patients' concerns at the time of the initial evaluation is very important in our overall patient management. Specific issues that we address in our practice include the following: (1) Why are patients here? (2) What do patients want and what do they expect of me? (3) Whom have they seen before and what if anything has been tried and proved ineffective in treating their condition? Each of these basic questions must be answered to ensure that we are addressing affected patients' concerns and are targeting our efforts according to individual patients' needs.