Incıdence Of Tınnıtus In Socıety

Hundred of thousands people suffer from tinnitus (ringing in the ears) in our country. Tinnitus may be seen due to any cause, but some people are at higher risk because of age, occupational hazards, loud environments or recreational activities. It is thought that prevalence of tinnitus can be explained with one or two of every ten people in our country.

Every year, queries are made about tinnitus in a part of the National Health and Nutrition Surveys conducted by the US Centers for Disease Control. 15% of the respondents stated that they had some kind of tinnitus. It has been reported that 67% of tinnitus patients have tinnitus more than a year and 30% of them have big problem in their lives because of tinnitus.

The incidence of tinnitus in men are higher than women. This inequality is attributed to the fact that men are more represented in the workforce, especially in louder occupations such as manufacturing, construction and military service. Men are also more likely to participate in high hearing risk behaviours such as hunting and motor sports. Tinnitus is more common in older people.

As people age, tinnitus peaks in the 60-69 age group and prevalence of tinnitus increases. The reason for this increase is attributed to age-related hearing loss and continuous exposure to noise since the past. There are also differences in ethnic situations.

Tinnitus can cause high financial losses in developed countries. According to the researches in US, the individual economic loss of a person with tinnitus can reach up to $ 30,000 a year, including labour loss, reduced productivity, and health care costs. It is estimated that the cost as a whole goes over 26 billion dollars per year. There is no data on economic losses due to tinnitus in our country.