USA: 40-50 million experience tinnitus
40 - 50 million Americans experience some degree of tinnitus and hyperacusis.
- Tinnitus is estimated to affect between 10 percent and 20 percent of all Americans.
- Approximately three-quarters of those experiencing tinnitus are not bothered by it. But for the remaining 25 percent tinnitus has a great impact on their daily life.
- Nearly a third of the population over the age of 70 years report significant tinnitus. Many with tinnitus also complain of hyperacusis.
Affects quality of life
British studies paint a similar picture of a problem affecting millions of people. One of the clearest snapshots of tinnitus in England was provided by The National Study of Hearing in a study carried out by the MRC Institute of Hearing Research. It was based on 48,000 postal questionnaires.
The study showed that:
- 10 percent of British adults have experienced spontaneous tinnitus lasting more than five minutes.
- Seven percent have consulted their family doctors about it.
- For one in 100 adults, tinnitus severely affects his/her quality of life
- One individual in 200 experiences tinnitus as having a significant impact on his/her ability to live a normal life. According to the MRC Institute of Hearing Research, this adds up to about 200,000 people in Great Britain.