ABSTRACT
Abstract Introduction Tinnitus is a symptom that affects mainly the elderly and can negatively influence their quality of life. Objective The objective of our study is to evaluate the existence of a relationship between the quality of life and the impact caused by tinnitus in elderly individuals, considering the age and gender variables. Method We conducted a cross-sectional study in elderly people of both genders who participate in the extension activities at the university. The evaluation was composed of anamnesis and WHOQOL-OLD instruments, to evaluate the quality of life, and Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) for the evaluation of the tinnitus impact. Result We evaluated 36 elderly individuals with an average age of 68.6 ± 6.8 years old, 72.2 % of them were women. We verified that most of the subjects classified their tinnitus as weak (44.4%) ormedium (36.1%). The score average in the THI was 20 points, with predominant classification of tinnitus impact as negligible (41.7%) or mild (30.6%). In the WHOQOL-OLD, the average score was 15.6 ± 1.6 points (total score). The negative correlation between the THI score and the WHOQOL-OLD score was found in the sensory domain operation and total score. Conclusion The results obtained in the study prove that the quality of life of the elderly individuals evaluated is related to a discomfort caused by the tinnitus.
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Female , Aged , Quality of Life , Surveys and Questionnaires , Tinnitus/therapy , Brazil , Hearing Loss , Prevalence , Signs and SymptomsABSTRACT
Introdução: O zumbido é uma queixa comum em idosos. Objetivo: O presente estudo tem como objetivo avaliar a qualidade de vida de indivíduos idosos com sintoma de zumbido, verificando-se também a influência das variáveis sexo e idade. Método: Estudo prospectivo. A amostra foi composta por 36 indivíduos idosos. Inicialmente foi realizada uma entrevista, visando obter dados sociodemográficos dos indivíduos. Foi utilizado o instrumento WHOQOL-OLD, elaborado pela Organização Mundial da Saúde (OMS), para a avaliação da qualidade de vida de idosos. A média de idade da amostra deste estudo foi 68,67 ± 6,84 anos. Em relação ao sexo, foram 26 (72,2%) idosos do sexo feminino e 10 (27,78%) do sexo masculino. Resultados: A maior parte classificou seu zumbido como fraco (44,4%) ou médio (36,1%) e referiu sentir piora do sintoma de zumbido à noite (47,2%). Os resultados obtidos demonstram que o zumbido não está afetando a qualidade de vida desta amostra. Os excelentes escores obtidos no WHOQOL-old demonstram valores próximos à pontuação máxima. Quando foram analisados os escores por sexo, verificou-se que, com exceção da faceta morte/morrer, esta variável não influenciou a qualidade de vida dos idosos avaliados. Conclusão: Os resultados obtidos neste estudo evidenciaram que a qualidade de vida dos idosos avaliados está mantida, apesar da presença do zumbido, contrariando os achados da literatura especializada. Também não houve relação entre a qualidade de vida e as variáveis sexo e sensação de intensidade do zumbido.
Introduction: Tinnitus is a common complaint in the elderly. Objective: This study aims to evaluate the quality of life of seniors' people with symptoms of tinnitus by verifying the variation of sex and age's influence. Method: A prospective study. Thirty-six seniors' people have compounded the sample. Initially, an interview was conducted in order to obtain individuals socio demographics data. The tool WHOQOL-OLD was used; it was prepared by the World Health Organization (WHO) to assess the quality of life of seniors. The average age of our sample was 68.67 ± 6.84 years. Regarding gender were 26 (72.2%) elderly women and 10 (27.78%) were male. Results: Most of them have classified their tinnitus as weak (44.4%) or moderate (36.1%) and reported feeling worsening of tinnitus at night (47.2%). The results demonstrate that tinnitus is not affecting the quality of life in this sample. The excellent scores of the WHOQOL-old show values next to the maximum punctuation. When the scores were analyzed by sex, it was verified that except for the facet death/dying, this variable did not influence the quality of life of valued seniors. Conclusion: The results of this study have pointed that quality of life of valued seniors is maintained despite the presence of tinnitus, contradicting the findings of the literature. There was no relationship between quality of life and gender' variables and loudness sensation of tinnitus.