Prevalence of Hyperacusis in the General and Special Populations: A Scoping Review

Abstract

Objectives: To study the prevalence of hyperacusis in the general population and the special population, and to determine the effect of population differences on hyperacusis.Methods: The two authors followed a scoping review methodology and screened nearly 30 years of English literature in Pubmed, Web of Science, OVID, and EBSCO. Then, the extracted results of each study were discussed in groups and subgroups.Results: The authors selected 42 pieces of scientific literature that met the requirements, studying a total of 34,796 subjects, including the general population (28,425 subjects), the special occupation population (2,746 subjects), and the patients with concomitant diseases (5,093 subjects). The prevalence was 0.2–17.2% in the general population, 3.8–67% in the special occupation population, and 4.7–95% in the patients with special diseases. It was found that in the general population, the high prevalence occurs in adolescents and older adults. The prevalence of hyperacusis in women is significantly higher than in men. In people with hearing disorders, the prevalence of hyperacusis is significantly higher than in people with normal hearing. Various diseases (such as Williams syndrome, tinnitus, and autism), as well as various occupations (musicians, music students, teachers, and others), have been found to be high risk factors for hyperacusis.Conclusion: The high prevalence of hyperacusis and the large differences between reported prevalence in different studies deserves our great attention. Additionally, in order to increase the comparability of the studies, a standardized set of criteria are needed to study the prevalence of hyperacusis.

Prevalence of Hyperacusis Diagnosis in Veterans Who Use VA Healthcare

“…The results of the current study estimate prevalence of hyperacusis diagnosis using ICD billing codes (ICD-9 and ICD-10) to be 0.06%. Compared to prevalence estimates in the general population which range from 6% to 15% (Zelaya et al 2015;Smit et al 2021) and much higher in clinical populations (4.7% to 95%; Ren et al 2021), the estimate from this study is likely a gross underestimate of the number of Veterans with hyperacusis. The low estimated prevalence based on diagnostic billing codes in EHR is most likely reflective of: (1) clinicians' uncertainty pertaining to diagnosing hyperacusis; (2) uncertainty of when to include the ICD billing code for hyperacusis in the Veteran's medical record; (3) lack of standardization regarding ICD codes assigned by providers for auditory complaints, such that "abnormal auditory perception" (i.e., H932) might be coded instead of H9323 when hyperacusis is suspected; and (4) infrequent screening done in health care clinics for hyperacusis.…”

Clinical Findings That Differentiate Co-Occurrence of Hyperacusis and Tinnitus from Tinnitus Alone

“… 2 The prevalence of hyperacusis is 0.2%–17.2% in the general population, and hearing loss, female sex, rare diseases, such as Williams syndrome, autism, occupation, such as musicians and teachers, low income, tinnitus, and physical or mental health difficulties have been reported as common risk factors. 3 4 The prevalence, natural history, risk factors, and pathophysiology of hyperacusis, the relationship between tinnitus and hyperacusis, and the development of an appropriate questionnaire for the diagnosis and treatment of hyperacusis have been regarded as significant issues. 5 …”

Can acoustic design accommodate aural diversity?

“…Increased loudness perception is usually described as hyperacusis, although there may be more than one type: in their review, Tyler et al split the condition into loudness hyperacusis, annoyance hyperacusis, fear hyperacusis and pain hyperacusis, noting that "people with hyperacusis can experience these reactions singly or in combination" [18]. Hyperacusis may be common, although prevalence in the general population is still uncertain, at 0.2-17.2% [19].…”