Clinical and audiological characteristics in adults with tinnitus in South Africa.
Katijah Khoza-Shangase, Snethemba P Mkhize
PMID 39625085WHAT IT FOUND
In South African adults reporting tinnitus, 78% of ears had hearing loss, mostly mild and sensorineural.
Hypertension was the most common medical condition. Older adults had more bilateral tinnitus and worse hearing than younger adults. These profiles highlight the need for comprehensive audiological assessment.
Key findings
0178% of ears in patients with tinnitus had hearing loss, with sensorineural hearing loss being the most common type (60%) and the configuration predominantly sloping (88%).
02Hypertension was the most prevalent medical condition among tinnitus patients (32%), followed by cardiac arrest and heart-related diseases (28%).
03Older adults (50 years and above) reported significantly greater hearing loss (mean 50.6 dB) than younger adults (mean 42.1 dB) and were more likely to experience bilateral tinnitus.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study was retrospective, relying on existing patient records which may contain incomplete or inaccurate data. The sample size was small (71 tinnitus cases) and drawn from a single tertiary hospital, limiting generalisability to the wider South African population. Tinnitus characteristics were based on self-reports from case histories, which are subjective. The study design did not allow for analysis of causality or longitudinal changes.
Declared interests
The research received no specific grant from any funding agency.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the high prevalence of hearing loss and hypertension as evidence that treating these conditions will resolve tinnitus. This study describes associations found in patient records; it did not test any interventions or determine cause and effect.