PURPOSE: To study tinnitus influence on high-frequency hearing thresholds (HFHTs). METHODS: The sample consisted of 30 female subjects aged 19 to 56 years, 14 with reported tinnitus (study group) and 16 with no tinnitus complaints (control group). All subjects had pure tone thresholds up to 25dB in the frequency range from 0.25 through 8 kHz. The research investigated the pure tone thresholds of 9, 10, 12, 14 and 16 kHz. RESULTS: The study group was found to have significantly lower HFHTs. No significant differences were found between hearing thresholds for right and left ears in the study group, as well as regarding the reported localization of the tinnitus. The average age of the subjects in the study group was significantly higher when compared to the control group. CONCLUSION: Determination of HFHTs is a diagnostic alternative for an early identification of hearing losses.
Tinnitus; Audiometry; Auditory threshold
