Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41566031›Full record

ArticleEuropean archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery2026

Tinnitus severity and chronicity in relation to hearing loss: a population-based study.

Sang-Yoon Han, Hee Won Seo, Seung Hwan Lee, Jae Ho Chung

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Article in European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

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0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

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2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Increased prevalence of depressive symptoms and stress in patients with chronic bothersome tinnitus during the COVID-19 pandemic.European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery · 2026
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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Sang-Yoon HanDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, College of Medicine, Hanyang University, 222, Wangsimni-ro, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, 04763, Republic of Korea.
Hee Won SeoDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, College of Medicine, Hanyang University, 222, Wangsimni-ro, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, 04763, Republic of Korea.
Seung Hwan LeeDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, College of Medicine, Hanyang University, 222, Wangsimni-ro, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, 04763, Republic of Korea.
Jae Ho ChungDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, College of Medicine, Hanyang University, 222, Wangsimni-ro, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, 04763, Republic of Korea. jaehochung@hanyang.ac.kr.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6884-7927

Funding

Hanyang University Hanyang University
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesAlthough the link between hearing loss and tinnitus is well established, the relationship between tinnitus-related distress and the degree of hearing impairment remains insufficiently explored. This study aimed to investigate the association between tinnitus severity and hearing thresholds using a large-scale population-based dataset.

methodsFrom the 8th and 9th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys during 2020-2022, 10,028 participants with complete information on demographics, hearing thresholds, tinnitus status, and normal tympanic membranes were included. Participants were classified into three groups according to the visual analogue scales (VAS) for tinnitus distress: non-tinnitus (no tinnitus within the past year), non-bothersome tinnitus (VAS score 0-4), and bothersome tinnitus (VAS score ≥ 5). Their hearing thresholds was analyzed according to the sex and chronicity.

resultsHearing thresholds worsened with increasing severity of tinnitus-related distress (p < 0.001). The bothersome tinnitus group showed the highest proportion of moderate (17.25%), moderately severe (12.45%), and severe-to-profound (6.37%) hearing loss and the lowest proportion of normal hearing (34.77%). This pattern was observed in both males and females overall and in those with chronic tinnitus, whereas in acute tinnitus, it was observed only in males, although not statistically significant. Males showed worse hearing thresholds and greater severity in the non-bothersome and bothersome tinnitus than females.

conclusionTinnitus was significantly associated with hearing loss, even when distress was mild, and greater distress corresponded to more severe impairment. These findings highlight the importance of considering tinnitus severity when estimating hearing levels and providing appropriate counseling for hearing evaluation.

Indexed as

Hearing LossTinnitusAdultAgedAuditory AcuityAuditory ThresholdChronic DiseaseFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedNutrition SurveysRepublic of KoreaSeverity of Illness IndexHearing lossPopulation-based studyReference valuesTinnitus

Identifiers

PMID41566031

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.