Emerging chronic-generative diseases in the elderly can have a strong impact on their quality of life. One such condition is tinnitus, or a ringing in the ears. OBJECTIVES: To study the prevalence of tinnitus in a group of elderly people and thereby the extent to which this condition may be associated with influences on their quality of life. CASE STUDY: The study carried out was prospective and descriptive, with an analytical component and a quantitative approach. Nineteen volunteers, aged 61-105 years, took part in the study. A questionnaire drawn up from the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) was applied. Eight of 13 women (61.53%) and 2 of 6 men (33.3%) reporteda ringing in their ears. As to the impact on their quality of life, 5 women (62.5%) reported discomfort and4 (50%) reported distraction by the tinnitus, difficulty in hearing, and irritability. Two men (100%) reported irritability.CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of tinnitus identified in the sample was higher than that reported in the literature. The results showed that tinnitus adversely affects quality of life among 53% of the study participants; women were more commonly affected.
