Characterization of patients with tinnitus and audiometric findings

Abstract

Introduction: tinnitus is defined as the conscious perception of a sound, in the absence of a corresponding external acoustic stimulus. It has been related to multiple comorbidities such as high blood pressure, diabetes mellitus, hearing loss, with no solid evidence at present. There are various ways to experience tinnitus, whether it is unilateral or bilateral, intermi- ttent or persistent onset, from mild quality of life deterioration to disabling forms. Knowing the various pathologies present in tinnitus, especially hearing loss, becomes relevant when confronting patients with this pathology. Aim: To characterize tinnitus and its main au- diometric findings in patients treated at the Otorhinolaryngology Service of the Herminda Martin of Chillán Clinical Hospital in Chile. Material and Method: Retrospective study. Patients older than 18 years with a diagnosis of tinnitus between the years 2015-2017 were included. Epidemiological information, comorbidities, clinical presentation of tinnitus ac- cording to laterality and frequency, associated hearing loss and audiometric findings were obtained. Results: 249 patients were included. Most were women (70%), with an onset ave- rage age of tinnitus between 60 to 79 years (52%). The accompanying otorhinolaryngolo- gical symptoms were in less than 10% of the cases. The main comorbidities were high blood was continuous. 43% had hypoacusis objectified on the audio- gram, regardless of whether they had the sensation of hearing loss. Conclusion: Tinnitus is a complex and multifactorial pathology, in this sense, the presence of objective hearing loss in audiometry was present in 43% of patients, being one of the main causes to be ruled out by the doctor in the patient’s first confrontation.