Benefit from hearing aids in users with and without tinnitus

Abstract

Objective: Tinnitus is a common problem among persons with hearing loss and consequently also among hearing aid users. The aims of this study were 1) to assess the proportion of hearing aid recipients reporting tinnitus; 2) to investigate hearing aid benefit among hearing aid users with or without tinnitus; and 3) to assess the association between tinnitus distress and hearing aid benefit. Study design: This was a cross-sectional design with individuals who had been fitted with hearing aids one year earlier. A total of 160 individuals were approached and 85 returned the questionnaires. The main outcome measures were Swedish translations of the Abbreviated Profile of Hearing Aid Benefit (APHAB; Cox & Alexander, 1995) and the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (Newman et al., 1996). Results: A total of 85 hearing aid users (mean age 67.4 years) participated, and of those 61% (52/85) reported tinnitus. Tinnitus patients reported more problems on the APHAB subscales Background Noise without a hearing aid, aversiveness with hearing aid, and less benefit from the hearing aid in aversive situations. Tinnitus distress was associated with less benefit on the APHAB subscales dealing with the aversiveness of sound and hearing in background noise. Conclusion: Tinnitus patients with hearing aids report slightly less benefit and more problems with their hearing aids, in particular in relation to background sounds and aversiveness of sounds.

Key words::

• tinnitus
• hearing aids
• benefit

Acknowledgements

Staff at the hearing aid centre are acknowledged for their assistance. Partial funding was provided by the Swedish Hard of Hearing Association and the HEAD Linneaus grant funded by the Swedish Science Foundation. David Baguley's research is supported by an NHS East of England Senior Academic Clinical Fellowship.

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.