Abstract
BackgroundHearing loss among young adults is on the increase largely because of greater exposure to recreational noise. One of the effects of a sensorineural hearing loss is tinnitus. Despite efforts to raise awareness of hearing loss and tinnitus, young adults continue to expose themselves to the potential risks. The reasons for this are unclear; neither is the extent to which tinnitus is experienced in this population.ObjectivesThe study aimed to describe the awareness and experience of tinnitus among young adults, with regard to its existence, causes, effects and management.MethodsA descriptive study design was employed using an electronic survey that targeted students within a selected school at a university in KwaZulu-Natal. There were 75 participants between 18 years and 30 years. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics. To raise awareness about tinnitus, on completion of the questionnaire, all participants were given access to an information document about tinnitus, its causes and management.ResultsThe majority of participants (69.86%) were not aware of the existence of tinnitus. Thus, most of the participants did not know about the causes or effects of tinnitus. Tinnitus was experienced by 13.51% of participants themselves and 12.16% knew someone who suffered from it.ConclusionsThe general lack of awareness of what tinnitus was, its causes and effects, has implications for audiologists who are involved in hearing health care across the age span. Hearing health promotion programmes targeted at young adults should include information on hearing loss as well as tinnitus and its management.
Highlights
Tinnitus is defined as a sound perceived in the ears and/or head without an external sound source (Alam et al, 2012)
Some studies have found that chronic noise exposure has been reported as the main cause of tinnitus in young adults because of exposure to excessively loud noise from personal listening devices (PLDs), recreational activities or attending nightclubs (Gilles, Van Hal, De Ridder, Wouters & Van de Heyning, 2013; Salvago et al, 2012)
It is important to note that there may be other confounding variables with regard to the population group in the current study when compared to the same population group of other studies
Summary
Tinnitus is defined as a sound perceived in the ears and/or head without an external sound source (Alam et al, 2012). The causes of tinnitus can include illness, certain medication, head and neck injury, surgery and exposure to excessive noise experienced at places such as nightclubs, raves and concerts (Nondahl et al, 2010). The burden of diseases including tuberculosis and ototoxicity associated with tinnitus, low socio-economic status and lifestyle influencing access to PLDs and nightclubs may be different in the South African young adult population. Despite efforts to raise awareness of hearing loss and tinnitus, young adults continue to expose themselves to the potential risks. The reasons for this are unclear; neither is the extent to which tinnitus is experienced in this population
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