Severity of hearing loss and tinnitus perception

About 3% of those affected by tinnitus suffer so severely that their quality of life is significantly impaired.

Tinnitus and hearing loss are strongly connected, although the severity of hearing loss does not correlate with the severity of tinnitus perception. Most people who experience tinnitus get used to living with it and do not find it disturbing, but about 20% of people with tinnitus need clinical support to cope with the noise. About 3% of those affected suffer so severely that their quality of life is significantly impaired.¹ In a group of people with severe to profound hearing loss, according to a study from 2015, 50% reported experiencing tinnitus and 38% reported a negative impact on their quality of life.² In cases where tinnitus and severe to profound hearing loss co-exist, it is of utmost importance to provide tinnitus interventions early in the rehabilitation process and to deliver them face-to-face to optimize communication, and consequently, treatment outcomes³, due to the often specific and complex listening needs of these patients.  

References:  

1 Cima, R.F.F., Mazurek, B., Haider, H., Kikidis, D., Lapira, A., Noreña, A., & Hoare, D.J. (2019). A multidisciplinary European guideline for tinnitus: diagnostics, assessment, and treatment. HNO, 67(1), 10–42. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00106-019-0633-7 

2 Carlsson, P. I., Hjaldahl, J., Magnuson, A., Ternevall, E., Edén, M., Skagerstrand, Å., & Jönsson, R. (2015). Severe to profound hearing impairment: quality of life, psychosocial consequences and audiological rehabilitation. Disability and Rehabilitation, 37(20), 1849–1856. https://doi.org/10.3109/09638288.2014.982833 

3 Turton, L., Souza, P., Thibodeau, L., Hickson, L., Gifford, R., Bird, J., Stropahl, M., Gailey, L., Fulton, B., Scarinci, N., Ekberg, K., & Timmer, B. (2020). Guidelines for best practice in the audiological management of adults with severe and profound hearing loss. Seminars in Hearing, 41(03), 141–246. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0040-1714744