Impact of Tinnitus on Military Service Members.

OBJECTIVES: The Noise Outcomes in Servicemembers Epidemiology (NOISE) Study is obtaining longitudinal data to evaluate the effects of noise and other exposures on auditory function in military personnel. A gap in the literature is the lack of studies concerning how active-duty Service members might be impacted by having tinnitus. The present study reports NOISE Study data that address this gap. METHODS: Data are reported from current Service members and recently-separated (within 2.5 years) Veterans, enabling a direct comparison of results between active and post-military samples. Data were collected from two sites: VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, OR and Department of Defense Hearing Center of Excellence, San Antonio, TX. Participants completed comprehensive audiometric testing and numerous questionnaires. RESULTS: Results are presented from n = 428 participants across the two sites, including 246 Veterans and 182 Service members. The data reveal that, for both Service members and Veterans, the presence of tinnitus has effects on job performance, concentration, anxiety, depression, and sleep. CONCLUSIONS: This study has revealed that, for these samples of study participants, tinnitus has an impact on military Service members that is comparable to how it affects Veterans who have completed their military service within the previous 2.5 years.

Tinnitus Screener: Results From the First 100 Participants in an Epidemiology Study.

PURPOSE: In the Noise Outcomes in Servicemembers Epidemiology Study, Veterans recently separated from the military undergo comprehensive assessments to initiate long-term monitoring of their auditory function. We developed the Tinnitus Screener, a four-item algorithmic instrument that determines whether tinnitus is present and, if so, whether it is constant or intermittent, or whether only temporary tinnitus has been experienced. Predictive validity data are presented for the first 100 Noise Outcomes in Servicemembers Epidemiology Study participants. METHOD: The Tinnitus Screener was administered to participants by telephone. In lieu of a gold standard for determining tinnitus presence, the predictive validity of the tinnitus category assigned to participants on the basis of the Screener results was assessed when the participants attended audiologic testing. RESULTS: Of the 100 participants, 67 screened positive for intermittent or constant tinnitus. Three were categorized as "temporary" tinnitus only, and 30 were categorized as "no tinnitus." Tinnitus categorization was predictively valid with 96 of the 100 participants. CONCLUSIONS: These results provide preliminary evidence that the Screener may be suitable for quickly determining essential parameters of reported tinnitus. We have since revised the instrument to differentiate acute from chronic tinnitus and to identify occasional tinnitus. We are also obtaining measures that will enable assessment of its test-retest reliability.