Tinnitus in adolescents and its relation to the use of personal
sound systems
Renata Almeida Araujo Silvestre 1
Angela Ribas 2
Jair Mendes Marques 3
Adriana Bender Moreira de Lacerda 4
1 ENT, Student in Master’s Program in Communication Disorders - Tuiuti University of Parana - Curitiba - PR - Brasil. E-mail:
[email protected]2 Speech-Language Pathologist, PhD in Environment and Human Development, Professor of the Graduate Program in Communication Disorders - Tuiuti University
of Parana - Curitiba - PR - Brasil.
3 Mathematician, PhD in Geodetic Sciences, Professor of the Graduate Program in Communication Disorders - Tuiuti University of Parana - Curitiba - PR - Brasil.
4 Speech-Language Pathologist, PhD in Biomedical Sciences, Professor of the Graduate Program in Communication Disorders - Tuiuti University of Parana -
Curitiba - PR - Brasil.
Institution: Tuiuti University of Parana.
Send correspondence to:
Renata Almeida Araújo Silvestre.
Rua Alvaro Andrade, 225, apt 1148, Portao, Curitiba - PR. Postal Code 80610240, Telephone (+55 41) 9915-3854.
Paper submitted to the ITJ-SGP (Publishing Management System) on September 17, 2014;
and accepted on September 27, 2014. cod. 170
ORIGINAL ARTICLE
International Tinnitus Journal. 2013;18(2):138-142.
Abstract
Introduction: References to recreational exposure to high sound pressure levels (SPL) and the risk of hearing
loss and sensation of tinnitus has increased in the adolescent population. Objective: To identify the occurrence
of tinnitus in adolescents who use personal sound systems (PSS). Material and Methods: This was a descriptive
cross-sectional study, using a sample of 153 normal-hearing adolescent students. Participants answered a selfadministered
questionnaire containing open and closed questions, addressing information regarding sound habits
with the use of PSS and symptoms associated with this practice. Results: The occurrence of a habit of using PSS
was 93%. Comparing the exposed and unexposed groups, the incidence of tinnitus was 40% and 33% respectively,
and 22% reported the occurrence of tinnitus induced by the use of PSS. There was no significant difference for the
presence of tinnitus depending on the degree of exposure. Conclusion: Although no relation between the use of
PSS with tinnitus has been observed, the prevalence of symptoms of up to 40%, including noise-induced episodes,
reinforces the possibility of subclinical hearing loss induced by high NPS and, because of the irreversible nature of
these losses, the urgency of educational and regulatory measures to reverse these habits and attitudes.