Tinnitus study shows age and gender matter

Researchers at the University of Auckland have published the first nationally representative study of tinnitus prevalence in New Zealand.

Tinnitus, which often manifests as a ringing or buzzing sound in the ear, affects more than 200,000 people in New Zealand with slightly more men than women likely to report the condition.

Its effects can vary from slight annoyance to the disruption of an individual’s life.

“Tinnitus is the perception of sound in the head or ears in the absence of an external real sound,” said Dr Grant Searchfield, a senior lecturer and expert in tinnitus in Audiology at the University of Auckland.

“It’s commonly associated with hearing loss, but appears to be the result of a cascade of neuroplastic events in auditory pathways and central networks.”

The study interviewed almost 70,000 people between 2007 and 2013, and offers insight into the age and gender differences for tinnitus prevalence.

“This study has highlighted the importance of sex and age in defining a high-risk tinnitus population, but our knowledge falls short of profiling their ethnic and social-economic characteristics,” said Dr Searchfield.

“Better understanding the prevalence of tinnitus contributes to meeting health service needs and identifying high-risk groups in New Zealand. While our study has revealed some insight into ethnic variations in tinnitus prevalence in New Zealand, the effect of ethnicity on tinnitus remains largely unexplored.”

Tinnitus is a public health problem affecting about 6% of the New Zealand population (14 years and older) and is expected, along with hearing loss, to increase among the general population in the next 50 years.

The study showed that by age group, tinnitus prevalence was highest among older males 65 years and over (14.28%). The largest difference by sex was seen among younger adults aged 14 to 24 years — in this age group, males were 55% more likely to report tinnitus compared to females.

A notable difference by sex was also seen among adults aged 50 to 64 years, with males 32% more likely to report tinnitus compared to females.

Asian males were 32% more likely to report tinnitus compared to Asian females, while Pacific people were the only sub-group where females were more likely to experience any tinnitus compared to males.

In the overall population, adults aged 65 years and over were nearly three times more likely to report tinnitus than younger adults.

The study is published in the New Zealand Medical Journal.