title: Tinnitus in Elderly Individuals: Discomfort and Impact in the Quality of Life.
abstract: IntroductionTinnitus is a symptom that affects mainly the elderly and can negatively influence their quality of life.ObjectiveThe objective of our study is to evaluate the existence of a relationship between the quality of life and the impact caused by tinnitus in elderly individuals, considering the age and gender variables.MethodWe conducted a cross-sectional study in elderly people of both genders who participate in the extension activities at the university. The evaluation was composed of anamnesis and WHOQOL-OLD instruments, to evaluate the quality of life, andTinnitus Handicap Inventory(THI) for the evaluation of the tinnitus impact.ResultWe evaluated 36 elderly individuals with an average age of 68.6 ± 6.8 years old, 72.2 % of them were women. We verified that most of the subjects classified their tinnitus as weak (44.4%) or medium (36.1%). The score average in the THI was 20 points, with predominant classification of tinnitus impact as negligible (41.7%) or mild (30.6%). In the WHOQOL-OLD, the average score was 15.6 ± 1.6 points (total score). The negative correlation between the THI score and the WHOQOL-OLD score was found in the sensory domain operation and total score.ConclusionThe results obtained in the study prove that the quality of life of the elderly individuals evaluated is related to a discomfort caused by the tinnitus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health and Human Communication, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Adriane Ribeiro
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Teixeira
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Leticia Petersen Schmidt
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Rosito
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Educação Física, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Andréa Kruger
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Gonçalves
authors.affiliation: Arqué Segurança e Medicina do Trabalho, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Michelle Gassen Paulo
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Nunes
authors.affiliation: Department of Health and Human Communication, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dornelles
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Cirurgia e Ortopedia, UFRGS, Porto Alegre, Rio RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maira Rozenfeld
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Olchik
keywords: elderly; quality of life; questionnaires; tinnitus