Like many chronic conditions, there’s a mental health element to tinnitus. It isn’t just a matter of dealing with the symptoms. It’s coping with the symptoms constantly never knowing for certain if they will subside. For some individuals, sadly, depression can be the outcome.
According to research carried out by the Stockholm Public Health Cohort (SPHC) and published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, persistent tinnitus has been associated with an increase in suicide cases, particularly with women.
Tinnitus And Suicide, What’s The Link?
So that they can identify any kind of link between suicide and tinnitus, researchers at the SPHC surveyed about 70,000 people (Accurate, reliable results require large sample sizes).
According to the responses they received:
- 22.5% of the respondents reported having tinnitus.
- Suicide attempts occurred with 9% of women with severe tinnitus.
- 5.5% of men with profound tinnitus had suicide attempts.
- A hearing professional diagnosed tinnitus in only 2.1% of participants.
The differences in suicide rates between women and men are obvious, leading the experts to bring attention to the increased dangers for women. And most people with tinnitus symptoms, according to this research, don’t have their tinnitus diagnosed by a hearing professional. Not only are there therapies for tinnitus, many people experience relief by wearing hearing aids.
Are These Findings Universal?
Before any broad generalizations can be determined, this study needs to be repeated in different areas of the world with different variables and population sizes. In the meantime, we need to take these findings seriously.
What Does This Research Suggest?
While this research points to an elevated risk of suicide for women with severe tinnitus, the study did not draw clear conclusions as to why women had a higher risk of suicide than men. There are numerous possible explanations, of course, but there’s nothing intrinsic in the data that points towards any of those arguments as more or less likely.
Here are some things to pay attention to:
Not All Tinnitus is “Severe”
Most people who notice tinnitus symptoms don’t have “severe” tinnitus. Moderate instances also present their own obstacles, of course. But the statistical correlation between women with tinnitus and suicide was most pronounced (and, thus, denotes the biggest risk) with those who rated their tinnitus as severe.
Low Numbers of Respondents Were Diagnosed
Maybe the next most surprising conclusion in this research is that fairly few people were actually diagnosed with tinnitus, even though they displayed moderate to severe symptoms.
This is, possibly, the most significant area of possibility and one of the best ways to lower suicide or other health risks at the same time. That’s because treatment for tinnitus can present many overall benefits:
- People who are treated for tinnitus can learn to better manage their symptoms.
- Tinnitus is commonly a sign of hearing loss, which can (and should) be treated.
- Some treatments also help with depression.
Tinnitus And Hearing Impairment
It’s estimated that 90 percent of individuals who suffer from tinnitus have hearing impairment, and studies suggest that hearing aids help control the symptoms of tinnitus. Some hearing aids, in fact, actually come with features that address the symptoms of tinnitus. To learn if hearing aids can help you, set up an appointment.
References
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaotolaryngology/fullarticle/2732497
