Factors Associated With the Development of Tinnitus and With the Degree of Annoyance Caused by Newly Developed Tinnitus.
Thadé Goderie, Marieke F van Wier, Birgit I Lissenberg-Witte and 4 others
PMID 35729718WHAT IT FOUND
History of smoking and high somatization scores predicted developing tinnitus five years later.
Among those who did develop it, anxiety and poor speech recognition in noise predicted higher annoyance. These factors identify patients needing targeted prevention and emotional support.
Key findings
01History of smoking and higher levels of somatization were associated with increased odds of developing tinnitus five years later.
02Anxiety and poor speech recognition ability in noise were associated with higher degrees of tinnitus annoyance in people with new-onset tinnitus.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
Tinnitus was defined by a single yes/no question without checking duration, so brief physiological ringing may have been counted as tinnitus. The annoyance scale used was not validated against standard tools like the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory. The study assumed a 5-year lag time between risk factors and onset, which misses acute causes like noise trauma. Participants generally had low levels of psychological distress, so results may not apply to those with severe mental health conditions. The study was exploratory, and findings need confirmation in other cohorts.
Declared interests
The authors declare no conflicts of interest. Funding for the NL-SH study was provided by the Heinsius-Houbolt Fund, the Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development, and the European Union Horizon 2020 program.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the odds ratios as proof that smoking or somatization directly cause tinnitus. This is an observational study, and these factors are associated with development, but causality is not established. The single-question definition of tinnitus also means some reported cases may not be clinically significant.