Impacto do zumbido e sua relação com gênero, idade e ansiedade em pacientes atendidos em serviços especializado

Abstract

Introduction: Tinnitus is a symptom defined as the perception of a sound in the ears or head in the absence of an external sound source. It affects approximately 15 of the world population and is present in about 25 million Brazilians. It affects any age and can interfere with the individual's sleep, concentration, emotional balance and social life. Objective: Associate the occurrence of tinnitus and its relation to gender, age, and anxiety. Method: This is a documental, retrospective and cross-sectional study. Through database consultation of a tinnitus patient care service until 2019. The methods used for evaluation and initial collection of the information were the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) questionnaire, the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), and the Trace-State Anxiety Inventory (IDATE). Data from patients who filled out the information completely were included. The variables observed were gender, age, anxiety, tinnitus location, and a total score of THI, VAS and IDATE. The findings were analyzed and presented in descriptive and percentage form. Results: Of the 126 individuals included in the study, 62.7% were female and 37.3% were male, with a mean age of 51.4 years. Of this population, 59% self-reported having bilateral tinnitus. There was a higher occurrence in females 46.8%. In the STAI-Trait, an average anxiety of 48% was observed in females and low anxiety 50% in males, with a higher percentage in females. As for THI, a mild degree was obtained 31.6% for females and slight 25.5% for males. In the matter of Visual Analogues Scale-VAS, the female gender was the most expressive with a percentage of 62.1%. Conclusion: It is concluded that, there was a higher occurrence of tinnitus in the female gender of mild degree and mild for the males. The age group with the highest percentage is the adult, varying between 20 and 59 years old. The findings indicate that women are more careful and seek health services more frequently. Thus, further population studies are needed in different contexts in the Brazilian scenario.