Tinnitus, hyperacusis and somatic complaints in a diverse Norwegian clinical population: implications for assessment...

Patients with tinnitus often have somatic complaints, a reality that is understudied in the broader literature on tinnitus. This study aims to characterize tinnitus patients with somatic complaints, investigate associations between somatic complaints and tinnitus, hyperacusis, and symptoms of anxiety and depression, and to compare patient profiles across genders and healthcare services.

A cross-sectional study with a digital questionnaire consisting of Tinnitus Sample Case History Questionnaire (TSCHQ), Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI), Hyperacusis Questionnaire (HQ), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7). The somatic complaints investigated were Headaches, Dizziness, Temporomandibular Dysfunction (TMD), Neck pain and Pain Syndromes, as measured using the TSCHQ.

A total of 144 participants with tinnitus were sampled, from four hearing clinics and two rehabilitation centres in Norway.

Several positive associations were observed between somatic complaints and higher levels of tinnitus, hyperacusis, depression and anxiety. Moreover, somatic complaints were more common among women, and those recruited from rehabilitation centres.

Tinnitus patients, with or without comorbid hyperacusis, have several psychological and somatic complaints that need to be mapped thoroughly. An interdisciplinary approach should be considered for patients with tinnitus and comorbid somatic symptoms.