Tinnitus More Prevalent Among Elderly: Study

A new research has revealed that Tinnitus is common among elderly Nigerians and associated with treatable health conditions like otitis media, rhinosinusitis, head injury and hypertension.

Nearly 36 million Americans, however, suffer from tinnitus or head noises.

Tinnitus - Causes - Symptoms - Diagnose - Treatment - FAQs
Tinnitus is the perception of ringing, hissing, or other sound within the ears when no corresponding external sound is present.

It may be an intermittent sound or an annoying continuous sound in one or both ears. In Nigeria, tinnitus affects between 10.1 pc and 33 pc of the population, with about 3 to 4 pc consulting a doctor on at least one occasion in their lifetime. Its effect makes it a significant contributor to morbidity in the elderly.

The study included face-to-face interviews of 1,302 elderly people aged 65 years and over; age, sex, economic status or residence were not associated with the occurrence of tinnitus.

The researchers found a significant difference between the prevalence of tinnitus among "young elderly" subjects aged 65-69 (6.5 pc), and the older (80+ years) group (41.9 pc). Also in this study, a non-significant trend was observed for the prevalence of tinnitus to increase with decreasing socioeconomic and educational level.

About Otitis Media
Middle ear infection, or otitis media, is a common type of infection that may or may not accompany the infections of nose and throat. It is the infection of any part of the middle ear.

"Our results are of potential value in the overall consideration of the health consequence of aging in this setting, especially given the projections of a rapid increase in the proportion of the elderly in developing countries," said study author Akeem Olawale Lasisi, MBChB, FWACS, FMCORL.

The study has been published in the October 2010 issue of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery.

Meniere’s Disease – Symptoms and Signs – Causes – Diagnosis – Treatment - FAQ’s
Meniere’s disease is a condition of unknown cause in which the patient experiences symptoms of vertigo, hearing loss, tinnitus and a feeling of fullness in the ears.

Source-ANI

Anatomy of Ear and Hearing
Ear converts sound waves into electrical impulses that are transmitted to the temporal lobe of the brain through the auditory nerve. It consists of outer, inner and middle sections.