Prevalence of Tinnitus and its Characteristics Among Indian Adult Population

Abstract

Introduction Tinnitus is a sound heard in the ears or head that originates from both external and internal sources. Tinnitus epidemiological data are critical for proper assessment and management of tinnitus sufferers. The study’s goal was to determine the prevalence of tinnitus and its characteristics among middle-aged Indian individuals, as there has been no previous research in this area in India.Methods A descriptive cross-sectional study was performed in 273 Indian adult populations ranging in age from 18 to 60 years old, utilizing a random sampling approach and an online survey mode. The SPSS 25.0 software was used to conduct the statistical analysis. The descriptive statistics were used to assess the data, and the chi-square test was used to see whether there was any correlation between the variables.Results Studies related to tinnitus prevalence show larger variability across countries, which may be due to inconsistent research methods used. Our survey found the prevalence of tinnitus to be 6.7% among the Indian adult population, and most of the participants 76 (76%) reported that their tinnitus is of intermittent nature. In our study, we found that 15% of participants have problem with sleep and none of the participants reported perception of tinnitus in their dreams.Conclusion Tinnitus is the most prevalent otological condition, which may have a great impact on the quality of life of sufferers as well as their family members. As the prevalence of tinnitus is high among adult population, it is very much essential to develop proper assessment and management protocols to help the patient with tinnitus.