title: Trial of Chinese medicine Wu-Ling-San for acute low-tone hearing loss.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We used new criteria to elucidate the demographics of acute low-tone sensorineural hearing loss (ALHL) and tested the Chinese medicine Wu-Ling-San as a treatment for ALHL.
  
  
  METHODS
  We reviewed the medical records of patients with ALHL seen at the outpatient clinic of the Social Insurance Central General Hospital in Tokyo from April 2006 through August 2011. Patients were treated with an oral steroid, a diuretic, or Wu-Ling-San; alone or in combination.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We identified 130 definite and 48 probable ALHL cases. The mean age and male-to-female ratio in probable cases were significantly higher than those in definite cases (p < 0.05). The steroid-Wu-Ling-San combination was significantly more effective (100% recovery) than the diuretic alone (59%), Wu-Ling-San alone (62%), or the steroid-diuretic combination (60%, p < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  ALHL can develop in older patients more frequently than we expected. The steroid-Wu-Ling-San combination is a possible new treatment for ALHL.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Social Insurance Central General Hospital, Tokyo, Japan. okada.kazunari@nifty.com
authors.forename: Kazunari
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Okada
authors.forename: Shin-ichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ishimoto
authors.forename: Yoko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fujimaki
authors.forename: Tatsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamasoba
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D004234:Diuretics, Osmotic / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004357:Drug Synergism; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006319:Hearing Loss, Sensorineural / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007547:Isosorbide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008297:Male; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010045:Outpatients / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011239:Prednisolone / Q000008:administration & dosage; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D017678:Sex Distribution; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D004234:Diuretics, Osmotic; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D005938:Glucocorticoids; D011239:Prednisolone; D007547:Isosorbide