Impact of tinnitus on the quality of life among Saudi patients.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the impact of tinnitus on the quality of life of Saudi patients, and to compare the findings with those of other studies.

METHODS: A retrospective chart review of 100 tinnitus patients, who visited the Otology/Neurotology Clinic at King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia between January 2008 and December 2010, and completed the 25-item Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI), was conducted. Age, gender, duration of symptoms, laterality, and associated hearing loss were included in the data.

RESULTS: The mean age of 54 men, and 46 women was 47.1±13.1 years. The male patients had higher THI total scores, emotional and functional total subscale scores as compared with the female patients. Associated hearing loss was present in 76% of patients. Patients with a long duration of tinnitus had a significantly higher scoring of the emotional (p=0.009), and catastrophic total subscale scores (p=0.006) compared with those with a short duration. The risk of a male patient experiencing a catastrophic score was 3.15 times higher than that in a female patient. Associated hearing loss, and tinnitus over a long duration affected the catastrophic subscale scores more than the other subscales. Fifty-one percent of the patients were grade 4 in the THI.

CONCLUSIONS: Tinnitus had a negative impact on the quality of life of Saudi patients. The THI may be a useful tool for screening patients, counseling, and charting treatment progress.