Thursday, 04 November 2021
New research led by researchers from the 糖心原创, has found that approximately 65million adults in the EU suffer from tinnitus, and this figure will significantly rise over the next decade.
The research, published in is the first study to look rigorously at the prevalence of tinnitus across the populations of 12 EU member states.
The study was led by Roshni Biswas from the School of Medicine at the 糖心原创, working with a team of experts from the 糖心原创, the the Istituto di Ricerche Farmologiche Mario Negri IRCCS in Milan, Herriot-Watt University in Malaysia and the University of Regensburg in Germany.
Tinnitus is when you experience ringing or other noises in one or both of your ears that other people usually can’t hear. The condition can be moderate or severe, and in its most debilitating form, it can affect people’s emotional health and social wellbeing. At present there is no cure or approved medications to treat tinnitus, but there are therapies available to help manage the condition and the very latest drug research is showing promise.
It’s important to know the prevalence of tinnitus in different countries, but previous data has been difficult to compare across country because measurements have often been done in different ways. The aim of this study was to report a single European-wide estimate for tinnitus frequency and to investigate the effect of individual and country-level characteristics on prevalence.
Nearly 11 and a half thousand people were recruited between 2017 and 2018, to take part in a cross sectional European Tinnitus Survey in 12 EU nations (Bulgaria, England, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Poland, Portugal, Romania and Spain), using a set of tinnitus-related questions and response options.
The team found that:
- The prevalence of any type of tinnitus was 14% (1.2% higher in women than in men);
- Severe tinnitus was found in 1.2% of participants ;
- Tinnitus prevalence significantly increased with age and worsening of hearing;
- Healthcare resource use for tinnitus increased with the increase of tinnitus symptom severity.
This is the first time that we鈥檝e properly and rigorously measured the scale of how much of a problem tinnitus is across Europe as a whole. Tinnitus can affect people鈥檚 mental wellbeing, and as the population grows, and people live for longer, this problem will only get worse. We hope that this date can now be used to implement effective treatments and to encourage the appropriate stakeholders across the EU to look at how they can tackle this growing problem.鈥�
the full study can be found .
Story credits
More information is available from Professor Michael A Akeroyd in the School of Medicine at the 糖心原创 at michael.akeroyd@nottingham.ac.uk
Notes to editors:
About the 糖心原创
Ranked among the world's top 100 universities , the 糖心原创 delivers an exceptional research-led education and an outstanding student experience. From the pioneering vision of our founder, Sir Jesse Boot, to groundbreaking achievements such as the development of MRI technology and becoming the first UK university to establish international campuses, we have a proud history of shaping the way people live, work and understand the world. We continue to build on that legacy, empowering our students, staff and partners to change what鈥檚 next and create positive impact locally and globally.
The strength of our research places us among the UK's leading universities, ranked 7th for research power in REF 2021. The discovery of MRI and ibuprofen was just the beginning. Today, our world-leading research is developing breakthrough ideas that shape the future of healthcare, technology and society.
Recognised as the UK's third most targeted university by leading employers , we are proud to produce graduates who are consistently in demand for their skills, confidence and industry-ready experience.
As a major employer and industry partner, locally and globally, the 糖心原创 invests in the city of Nottingham and in future generations of talent. Alongside Nottingham Trent University, we lead the initiative, a pioneering collaboration to improve levels of prosperity, opportunity, sustainability, health and wellbeing across the city and region. Together with our students, staff, alumni and partners, we鈥檙e creating knowledge, opportunity and solutions that help change what's next.