German investigators inform that the ringing or buzzing in the ears, also called tinnitus, differs among patients according to the condition’s clinical characteristics.
People suffering from tinnitus have ringing, buzzing or whistling sounds in one or both ears. This condition can be the result of a medical disease or other mysterious causes. According to background information in the article, this condition can be either constant or intermittent, chronic or acute.
The research of over 4 900 patients with tinnitus was published in the December issue of the journal Archives of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery.
As far as the scientists are concerned, over eight per cent of patients rated their condition as grade I (weak degree of tinnitus loudness), close to sixty per cent as grade II (medium degree of loudness), and just over thirty two per cent as grade III (strong degree of loudness).
When it comes to annoyance with tinnitus, nearly 39 per cent said that they were slightly distressed, almost 24 per cent reported that they were seriously distressed, and around 13 per cent were most seriously distressed.
Loudness tied to annoyance
The vast majority of people with grade I conditions reported mild tinnitus suffering, those with grade II were split, and about 66 per cent of patients with grade III conditions had severe or very severe suffering. The scientists informed that the results suggest a moderate association between tinnitus loudness and annoyance.
"In particular, higher levels of severity were discovered in men, older adults, binaural (in both ears) and centrally perceived tinnitus, increase in tinnitus sensitivity since onset, sensitivity to loud external noise, permanent tinnitus (as opposed to intermittent tinnitus), and the coexistence of hearing loss, vertigo and hyperacusis (abnormal sensitivity to sounds)," wrote the investigators from the University of Mainz and the Roseneck Centre of Behavioural Medicine in Prien.
"More studies are necessary to explore the determinants of tinnitus loudness and annoyance to understand more deeply how people react to their tinnitus and which factors contribute to the long-term maintenance of suffering," they explained.
