Hearing difficulties, ear-related diagnoses and sickness absence or disability pension - a systematic literature review

Friberg, Emilie; Gustafsson, Klas; Alexanderson, Kristina

doi:10.1186/1471-2458-12-772

Cited by 10 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…Tinnitus and hyperacusis are among the most frequent audiological disorders and have a significant socioeconomic impact on the health care system ( 1 ). In subjective tinnitus, by far the most common form, a phantom noise is perceived without any external stimulus, whereas in hyperacusis, sounds are perceived as annoying even at low sound levels ( 2 , 3 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Co-occurrence of Hyperacusis Accelerates With Tinnitus Burden Over Time and Requires Medical Care

et al. 2021

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Although tinnitus represents a major global burden, no causal therapy has yet been established. Ongoing controversies about the neuronal pathophysiology of tinnitus hamper efforts in developing advanced therapies. Hypothesizing that the unnoticed co-occurrence of hyperacusis and differences in the duration of tinnitus may possibly differentially influence the neural correlate of tinnitus, we analyzed 33 tinnitus patients without (T-group) and 20 tinnitus patients with hyperacusis (TH-group). We found crucial differences between the T-group and the TH-group in the increase of annoyance, complaints, tinnitus loudness, and central neural gain as a function of tinnitus duration. Hearing thresholds did not differ between T-group and TH-group. In the TH-group, the tinnitus complaints (total tinnitus score) were significantly greater from early on and the tinnitus intensity distinctly increased over time from ca. 12 to 17 dB when tinnitus persisted more than 5 years, while annoyance responses to normal sound remained nearly constant. In contrast, in the T-group tinnitus complaints remained constant, although the tinnitus intensity declined over time from ca. 27 down to 15 dB beyond 5 years of tinnitus persistence. This was explained through a gradually increased annoyance to normal sound over time, shown by a hyperacusis questionnaire. Parallel a shift from a mainly unilateral (only 17% bilateral) to a completely bilateral (100%) tinnitus percept occurred in the T-group, while bilateral tinnitus dominated in the TH-group from the start (75%). Over time in the T-group, ABR wave V amplitudes (and V/I ratios) remained reduced and delayed. By contrast, in the TH-group especially the ABR wave III and V (and III/I ratio) continued to be enhanced and shortened in response to high-level sound stimuli. Interestingly, in line with signs of an increased co-occurrence of hyperacusis in the T-group over time, ABR wave III also slightly increased in the T-group. The findings disclose an undiagnosed co-occurrence of hyperacusis in tinnitus patients as a main cause of distress and the cause of complaints about tinnitus over time. To achieve urgently needed and personalized therapies, possibly using the objective tools offered here, a systematic sub-classification of tinnitus and the co-occurrence of hyperacusis is recommended.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Co-occurrence of Hyperacusis Accelerates With Tinnitus Burden Over Time and Requires Medical Care

et al. 2021

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“…However, knowledge of diagnosis-specific sick leave and diagnosis-specific disability pension is very scarce. In particular, knowledge of sick leave and disability pension resulting from specific otoaudiological diagnoses is very limited due to the small sizes of the groups involved [ 19 - 21 ]. In two recent prospective studies, however, we have shown that sick leave due to an otoaudiological diagnosis is associated with an increased risk of disability pension in comparison with sick leave due to other diagnoses [ 22 , 23 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sickness absence and disability pension due to otoaudiological diagnoses: risk of premature death – a nationwide prospective cohort study

2014

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BackgroundIt is estimated that hearing difficulties will be one of the top ten leading burdens of disease by 2030. Knowledge of mortality among individuals on sick leave or disability pension due to hearing diagnoses is virtually non-existent. We aimed prospectively to examine the associations of diagnosis-specific sick leave and disability pension due to different otoaudiological diagnoses with risks of all-cause and cause-specific mortality.MethodsA cohort, based on Swedish registry data, including all 5 248 672 individuals living in Sweden in 2005, aged 20–64, and not on old-age pension, was followed through 2010. Otoaudiological diagnoses were placed in the following categories: otological, hearing, vertigo, and tinnitus. Hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using Cox proportional hazard models; individuals on sick leave or disability pension due to different otoaudiological diagnoses during 2005 were compared with those not on sick leave or disability pension.ResultsIn multivariable models, individuals with sickness absence due to otoaudiological diagnoses showed a lower risk of mortality, while individuals on disability pension due to otoaudiological diagnoses showed a 14% (95% CI 1-29%) increased risk of mortality, compared with individuals not on sick leave or disability pension. The risk increase among individuals on disability pension was largely attributable to otological (HR 1.56; 95% CI = 1.04-2.33) and hearing diagnoses (HR 1.20; 95% CI = 1.00-1.43).ConclusionThis large nationwide population-based cohort study suggests an increased risk of mortality among individuals on disability pension due to otoaudiological diagnoses.

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“…Although socio-economic status (SES) is highly correlated with unemployment and health [39], studies on hearing difficulties, unemployment, and sickness absence that adjust for SES are scarce [40]. In a recent register-based study in Sweden, an increased risk of future disability pension was found among individuals with sickness absence due to a hearing diagnosis compared to those with non-otoaudiological sick leave diagnoses after adjustment for a wide range of potential confounders, such as age, sex, family situation, type of living area, birth region, years of education, and hospitalization days [33].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Self-reported hearing difficulties, main income sources, and socio-economic status; a cross-sectional population-based study in Sweden

et al. 2012

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BackgroundHearing difficulties constitute the most common cause of disability globally. Yet, studies on people with hearing difficulties regarding socio-economic status (SES), work, long-term unemployment, sickness absence, and disability pension are scarce. The aim of the present study was to investigate the main income sources of men and women of working ages with and without self-reported hearing difficulties and associations with gender, age, SES, type of living area, and country of birth.MethodsA cross-sectional population-based study, using information on self-reported hearing difficulties and SES of 19 045 subjects aged 20–64 years participating in Statistics Sweden’s annual Living Conditions Surveys in any of the years 2004 through 2008. The information was linked to a nationwide database containing data on demographics and income sources. Odds ratios (ORs) and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated, using binary logistic regression analysis.ResultsHearing difficulties increased with age and were more common in men (age-adjusted OR: 1.42 (95% CI: 1.30-1.56)) with an overall prevalence of 13.1% in men and 9.8% in women. Using working men as reference, the OR of having hearing difficulties was 1.23 (0.94-1.60) in men with unemployment benefits and 1.36 (1.13-1.65) in men with sickness benefits or disability pension, when adjusting for age and SES. The corresponding figures in women were 1.59 (1.17-2.16) and 1.73 (1.46-2.06). The OR of having sickness benefits or disability pension in subjects with hearing difficulties was 1.36 (1.12-1.64) in men and 1.70 (1.43-2.01) in women, when adjusting for age and SES and using men and women with no hearing difficulties as reference.ConclusionsHearing difficulties were more prevalent in men. After adjustment with age and SES as well as with type of living area and country of birth, a significant association with unemployment benefits was found only in women, and the associations with long-term sickness absence and disability pension tended to be stronger in women.

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Hearing difficulties, ear-related diagnoses and sickness absence or disability pension - a systematic literature review

Cited by 10 publications

References 26 publications

Co-occurrence of Hyperacusis Accelerates With Tinnitus Burden Over Time and Requires Medical Care

Co-occurrence of Hyperacusis Accelerates With Tinnitus Burden Over Time and Requires Medical Care

Sickness absence and disability pension due to otoaudiological diagnoses: risk of premature death – a nationwide prospective cohort study

Self-reported hearing difficulties, main income sources, and socio-economic status; a cross-sectional population-based study in Sweden

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