Tinnitus in the general population with a focus on noise and stress: a public health study.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the influence of noise and stress on the probability of tinnitus in the general population.

DESIGN

Questionnaire data were obtained from 12,166 subjects.

RESULTS

Each year of age increased the odds ratio of tinnitus by about 3%. Men generally showed a higher risk for tinnitus compared with women. Exposure to noise and stress emerged important for the probability of tinnitus. However, for the transition from mild to severe tinnitus, stress turned out to be especially important.

CONCLUSIONS

Stress management strategies should be included in hearing conservation programs, especially for individuals with mild tinnitus who report a high stress load.