Tinnitus and its risk factors in the Beaver Dam Offspring Study

Abstract

OBJECTIVE-To assess the prevalence of tinnitus along with factors potentially associated with having tinnitus. DESIGN-Datawere from the Beaver Dam Offspring Study, an epidemiological cohort study of aging.STUDY SAMPLE-After a personal interview and audiometric examination, participants (n=3267, ages 21-84 years) were classified as having tinnitus if in the past year they reported having tinnitus of at least moderate severity or that caused difficulty in falling asleep.RESULTS-The prevalence of tinnitus was 10.6%. In a multivariable logistic regression model adjusting for age and sex, the following factors were associated with having tinnitus: hearing impairment (Odds Ratio (OR) = 3.20), currently having a loud job (OR = 1.90), history of head injury (OR = 1.84), depressive symptoms (OR = 1.82), history of ear infection (men, OR = 1.75), history of target shooting (OR = 1.56), arthritis (OR = 1.46), and use of NSAID medications (OR = 1.33). For women, ever drinking alcohol in the past year was associated with a decreased risk of having tinnitus (OR = 0.56).CONCLUSIONS-These results suggest that tinnitus is a common symptom in this cohort and may be associated with some modifiable risk factors. KeywordsTinnitus; Demographics/Epidemiology; Hearing Conservation; Aging Tinnitus is the perception of sound in the ears or head unrelated to an external source. It can be a symptom of a variety of auditory disorders, and can be very troublesome in its more severe forms. Its exact causal mechanisms, however, are not well understood.Corresponding author: David M. Nondahl, MS, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Wisconsin, 610 Walnut Street, Room 1040, Madison, WI 53726-2397 Fax: (608) 265-2148; Nondahl@episense.wisc.edu . Declaration of InterestThe authors report no declarations of interest. The project described was supported by R01AG021917 from the National Institute on Aging, National Eye Institute, and National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily reflect the official views of the National Institute on Aging or the National Institutes of Health. (Nondahl et al, 2002). The EHLS also estimated the 5-year incidence (5.7%; Nondahl et al, 2002) and 10-year incidence of tinnitus (12.7%;Nondahl et al, 2010). Longitudinal studies such as these help to increase understanding of the etiology of the symptom over time. NIH Public AccessData from cross-sectional cohort studies on factors associated with having tinnitus are limited. The baseline EHLS reported that female gender, hearing impairment, cardiovascular disease and history of head injury were positively associated with having tinnitus, while age was inversely associated (Nondahl et al, 2002). Sindhusake and colleagues (2003b), using cross-sectional data from the Blue Mountains Hearing Study, reported that poorer hearing, poorer cochlear function, occupational noise exposure, history of middle ear or sinus infections, severe neck injury ...

Tinnitus

“…7 The table shows known risk factors for developing tinnitus and associated conditions. The main risk factor is hearing loss, 9 but this association is not simple or straightforward; 3 some people with troublesome tinnitus have audiometrically normal hearing and, conversely, many people with hearing loss do not report tinnitus. People who report high levels of both occupational and recreational noise exposure are more likely to have tinnitus.…”

“…People who report high levels of both occupational and recreational noise exposure are more likely to have tinnitus. 9 Other factors such as obesity, smoking, alcohol…”

“…consumption, previous head injuries, history of arthritis, and hypertension have been suggested as possible risk factors, 3,9 and some results have suggested a small genetic predisposition. 10 Various drugs can trigger tinnitus, including salicylates, quinine, aminoglycoside antibiotics, and some of the antineoplastic agents, particularly the platinum-based drugs.…”

Tinnitus and Sleep Difficulties After Cochlear Implantation

“…Hearing loss has been established as a major risk factor for tinnitus (Nondahl et al 2011). It has been suggested that degraded auditory input due to cochlear damage can trigger aberrant neuronal activity that is interpreted as tinnitus (Preece et al 2003;Eggermont & Roberts 2014).…”

Pilot Investigation of a Topographical Filter Dermal Patch in Patients with Tinnitus

“…The prevalence is approximately 10% 2 which means that it affects many in a population. There are a number of factors that are known to increase the risk of developing tinnitus such as hearing loss, exposure to noise, mood disorders, facial muscular tensions, especially dysfunction of the temporomandibular joint and many drugs including salicylates and some antibiotics 3,4 . The pathophysiological mechanism behind tinnitus has been broadly discussed and still remains unclear even if it is widely recognized as of central (CNS), not peripheral, auditory system origin.…”