<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Chronic tinnitus is often associated with hearing impairment, but it cannot be asserted that only hearing loss causes tinnitus. Audiograms of patients with tinnitus show that hearing loss occurred more often at high frequencies than at low frequencies.The aim of this study was to analyse the audiogram shapes of patients with chronic tinnitus and to identify the relationship between the shape of the audiogram and intensity and duration of tinnitus.This investigation was a cross case series study conducted at a general hospital in Kraljevo on patients with chronic subjective tinnitus. The study included 43 patients of both genders and of different ages. We used audiometry (measuring the threshold of hearing for frequencies from 250, 500, 1000, 2000, 4000 and 8000 Hz) and tympanometry. Each patient reported the intensity of tinnitus in each ear on a visual analogue scale (VAS1) and stated the duration of tinnitus for each ear.Our research showed that patients with chronic tinnitus had a characteristic audiogram with progressive hearing loss to high frequencies. Th is difference was significantly increased starting from lower to higher frequencies, and the most hearing-decreased range (“edge”) was between 2000 and 4000 Hz. We did not find a strong link between the tinnitus intensity measured by the visual analogue scale and tinnitus duration on one side and hearing loss in the studied patients and audiogram shape on the other side. The duration of tinnitus was most associated with hearing loss at 2000 Hertz, but even that was not significant.</abstract>

Chronic tinnitus is often associated with hearing impairment, but it cannot be asserted that only hearing loss causes tinnitus. Audiograms of patients with tinnitus show that hearing loss occurred more often at high frequencies than at low frequencies.The aim of this study was to analyse the audiogram shapes of patients with chronic tinnitus and to identify the relationship between the shape of the audiogram and intensity and duration of tinnitus.This investigation was a cross case series study conducted at a general hospital in Kraljevo on patients with chronic subjective tinnitus. The study included 43 patients of both genders and of different ages. We used audiometry (measuring the threshold of hearing for frequencies from 250, 500, 1000, 2000, 4000 and 8000 Hz) and tympanometry. Each patient reported the intensity of tinnitus in each ear on a visual analogue scale (VAS1) and stated the duration of tinnitus for each ear.Our research showed that patients with chronic tinnitus had a characteristic audiogram with progressive hearing loss to high frequencies. Th is difference was significantly increased starting from lower to higher frequencies, and the most hearing-decreased range (“edge”) was between 2000 and 4000 Hz. We did not find a strong link between the tinnitus intensity measured by the visual analogue scale and tinnitus duration on one side and hearing loss in the studied patients and audiogram shape on the other side. The duration of tinnitus was most associated with hearing loss at 2000 Hertz, but even that was not significant.

Is There a Relationship Between Audiogram Shape and the Intensity and Duration of Tinnitus?

Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Maxillofacial Surgery, General Hospital, Studenica, Kraljevo

Clinical Otorhinolaryngology, Clinical Centre of Kragujevac

Clinic of Psychiatry, Clinical Centre of Kragujevac

Clinic of Neurology, KRH Klinikum Agnes Karll Laatzen

Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medical Science

Experimental and Applied Biomedical Research (EABR)

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Chronic tinnitus is often associated with hearing impairment, but it cannot be asserted that only hearing loss causes tinnitus. Audiograms of patients with...

Is There a Relationship Between Audiogram Shape and the Intensity and Duration of Tinnitus?

Published Online: Oct 29, 2018

Page range: 237 - 242

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/sjecr-2017-0051

Keywords
tinnitus, audiogram, visual analogue scale

© 2018 Miroljub Trifunovic et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Is There a Relationship Between Audiogram Shape and the Intensity and Duration of Tinnitus?

Published Online: Oct 29, 2018

Page range: 237 - 242

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/sjecr-2017-0051

Keywordstinnitus, audiogram, visual analogue scale

© 2018 Miroljub Trifunovic et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
tinnitus, audiogram, visual analogue scale