Abstract
(1) Background: Decreased sound tolerance is a significant problem in tinnitus sufferers. The aim of the study was to evaluate the relationship between tinnitus and decreased sound tolerance (hyperacusis and misophonia). (2) Methods: The study sample consisted of 74 patients with tinnitus and decreased sound tolerance. The procedure comprised patient interviews, pure tone audiometry, impedance audiometry, measurement of uncomfortable loudness levels, and administration of the Hyperacusis Questionnaire, Tinnitus Handicap Inventory, and Visual Analogue Scales. (3) Results: The majority (69%) of the patients reported that noise aggravated their tinnitus. The correlation between tinnitus and hyperacusis was found to be statistically significant and positive: r = 0.44; p < 0.01. The higher the tinnitus severity, the greater the hyperacusis. There was no correlation between misophonia and hyperacusis (r = 0.18; p > 0.05), or between misophonia and tinnitus (r = 0.06; p > 0.05). (4) Conclusions: For tinnitus patients the more significant problem was hyperacusis rather than misophonia. The diagnosis and treatment of decreased sound tolerance should take into account not only audiological, but also psychological problems of the patients.
Highlights
Decreased sound tolerance is a disturbance of auditory perception, which may occur as hyperacusis or misophonia [1,2,3]
Three groups of patients were distinguished on the basis of Visual Analogue Scales (VAS) scores for hyperacusis loudness and misophonia: (1) those with predominant hyperacusis; (2) those with predominant misophonia; (3) those with hyperacusis and misophonia at a similar level
We found that tinnitus patients with decreased sound tolerance (DST) had uncomfortable loudness level (ULL) thresholds of approximately
Summary
The term “decreased sound tolerance” was introduced by Jastreboff and Jastreboff as a term to cover different types of sound intolerance. Decreased sound tolerance is a disturbance of auditory perception, which may occur as hyperacusis or misophonia [1,2,3]. Hyperacusis is defined as an intolerance to sounds of low to moderate intensity which are not considered loud by most people. The patient’s reaction depends primarily on the physical character of the sound, with the sound’s meaning and context irrelevant [2]
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