Tinnitus is often more severe with a hearing loss
Tinnitus severity is significantly worse in tinnitus patients who also have a hearing loss than in tinnitus patients with normal hearing, a study from Jordan shows.
In the study, a statistically significant association was found between hearing status and the severity of tinnitus. The study found no association between tinnitus severity and age or gender.
About the study
The study consisted of 73 tinnitus patients (34 with normal hearing and 39 with hearing loss). The participants in the study were assigned to two groups according to their hearing status. The severity of their tinnitus was evaluated using the Tinnitus Functional Index questionnaire. All the participants were interviewed, followed by an otoscopic examination, pure tone audiometry and tests for admittance and tinnitus matching.
The study, "A comparison of the severity of tinnitus in patients with and without hearing loss using the tinnitus functional index (TFI)", was published in the International Journal of Audiology.
Sources: pmlegacy.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov and the International Journal of Audiology