Positive experiences associated with tinnitus and balance problems

Abstract

Positive experiences have been investigated in a variety of conditions including hearing impairment. In the present investigation we have studied positive experience associated with tinnitus and with balance disorders using an open-ended questionnaire. The first was investigated in consecutive patients attending a tertiary level tinnitus clinic in Wales and the second as part of a study on members of the Finnish Meniere Federation. Forty-one per cent of the respondents with tinnitus listed one or more positive experiences as did 26% of the respondents with balance problems. Using a qualitative analysis, the most common theme to emerge in both groups was ‘Treatment-related’. ‘Personal development’ and ‘Disease-specific’ were also themes common to both groups and the tinnitus patients also reported effects on ‘Other people’, either that they had been helpful or that they themselves had developed empathy with other sufferers. We argue that discussion of such positive experiences would be valuable in the therapeutic counselling of both groups.

• tinnitus
• Menière's disorder
• balance problems
• positive experiences