The relationship between hearing loss and insomnia for patients with tinnitus^*

Abstract

Objective: It is possible that tinnitus, hearing loss and insomnia are all linked to oxidative stress. If so, there should be a relationship between insomnia and hearing loss among patients with tinnitus. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between insomnia and hearing thresholds for patients with tinnitus.

Design: This was a retrospective study.

Study sample: Data were gathered from records of 1066 consecutive patients (≥18 years old) with tinnitus who were seen in an audiology clinic in the UK.

Results: Seventy percent of patients experienced some form of insomnia as measured via the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI). Thirty eight percent of patients had hearing loss. Regression models showed that the average hearing threshold across ears and frequencies (0.5–4 kHz), adjusted for age and gender, did not predict ISI scores: regression coefficient (b) = 0.02 (95% confidence interval, CI: –0.013 to 0.05, p = 0.25). Moreover, the ISI scores did not predict the severity of hearing loss: b = 0.07 (95% CI: –0.05 to 0.18, p = 0.25).

Conclusion: The data do not support the idea that high levels of oxidative stress, which are associated with insomnia, have a strong influence on hearing loss among patients with tinnitus.

Keywords:

• Insomnia
• hearing loss
• tinnitus