According to various studies, around 14% of adults of all ages worldwide are affected by tinnitus. Although not serious, this phenomenon is considered very disabling in 1 to 2% of cases. “It’s very unpleasant, it makes it difficult to understand and can disrupt sleep,” testifies Rosaline Nicolas, 77, vice president of the ™France Tinnitus Association. In his case, the tinnitus appeared 20 years ago following a benign tumor on the auditory nerve, which left him with hearing loss.
ghost voice
Most often they are caused by ear pathologies (perforated eardrums, infections…) or prolonged exposure to intense noise. Because, faced with hearing loss, the auditory cortex organizes compensatory mechanisms: sounds that do not exist – phantom sounds – but without external acoustic stimulation, are perceived by the central nervous system. The impact of tinnitus varies greatly from one person to another: from a simple annoyance, it can interfere with daily life by causing stress, irritability, anxiety…
“We are campaigning for the recognition of this pathology, which is not an illness in itself but which causes symptoms that cause real illnesses such as depression,” explains Roselyn Nicholas. A study published on Thursday by the National Hearing Day (JNA) and the France Acupuncture Associations shows that the first consultation by a health professional occurs on average 6-7 years after the first symptoms. Although many people seek advice for tinnitus, there is no curative treatment to date.
“Double Punishment”
Treatment often involves fitting a hearing aid, a device that allows the tinnitus to be better tolerated. Implantation of prostheses A background noise, moderate but persistent, called white noise, can also help mask tinnitus and relieve daily discomfort. According to the study published on Thursday, 1,563 people affected by tinnitus who answered a questionnaire between October 2023 and February 2024 are estimated to cost an average of 1,079 .85 euros per year.
The associations thus point to a “double penalty”: physical and moral suffering but also economic. Among respondents, 11.4% also had to change jobs or workstations. Medical research continues to improve understanding and therefore management of the problem. Professor Severin Samson (University of Lille), Dr. Alain Londero and his team AP-HP (Georges Pompidou European Hospital and La PTA Salpetriere) and the “Audicog” project led by the Brain Institute, Foundation with the support of hearing, have delivered their first results.
“Attention Disorders”
The study was conducted on 300 people aged 18 to 60, including 150 men and women suffering from tinnitus (others served as controls). “We did thorough tests of attention, memory, cognition, along with additional brain imaging studies,” Dr. Samson explains. These tests revealed “attention problems” in tinnitus sufferers, meaning less alertness to warning signals, summarizes Alain Londero.
