Tinnitus and Hyperacusis May Affect Hearing Quality in Individuals with Sensorineural Hearing Loss: A Prospective Controlled Study.

Objective: Assessing the impacts of tinnitus and hyperacusis on hearing quality is crucial. This study aimed to evaluate how tinnitus and hyperacusis affect the auditory abilities of individuals with sensorineural hearing loss. Materials and Methods: The study included 60 adult individuals with bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, divided into three groups based on their reported symptoms of tinnitus and hyperacusis. A control group (CG) of 20 participants with normal hearing was also included. After undergoing audiological assessments, participants completed the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI), the Khalfa Hyperacusis Questionnaire (HQ), and the Speech, Spatial, and Qualities of Hearing Scale (SSQ). The findings were then compared across the groups. Results: It was observed that the hearing quality scores for the group experiencing both tinnitus and hyperacusis, in addition to hearing loss, were significantly lower than those of all other groups (p<0.05). Additionally, the speech perception score in the group with both tinnitus and hyperacusis was notably lower than in the group with only tinnitus (p<0.05). However, although the hearing quality scores were lower in the group with both tinnitus and hearing compared to the group with only hearing loss, this difference was not statistically significant (p>0.05). Conclusion: The findings of this study demonstrate that both tinnitus and hyperacusis significantly impact the hearing quality of individuals with comparable levels of hearing impairment. Notably, the presence of hyperacusis further exacerbates the deterioration of hearing quality. In managing hearing loss, the potential impact of tinnitus and hyperacusis on hearing should be considered.