Association of Dietary Factors with Presence and Severity of Tinnitus in Korean Adults with Normal Hearing

Tinnitus is the perception of sound regardless of the external sound stimulus and have been focused about various risk factors in recent researches. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to investigate the nutritional risk factors for tinnitus with normal hearing in the general population by examining data from the Fifth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). A total of 12,658 people were enrolled in Fifth KNHANES 2010-2012. We divided the subjects into two groups: tinnitus group and no tinnitus group, with a normal hearing threshold (< 25 dB). We analyzed the survey questionnaires for data on tinnitus, quality of life (QoL), and nutritional intake. The group with tinnitus and normal hearing accounted for 17.8% (n=2,249) of the total population. The QoL scores, including those for depression, pain, anxiety, and daily activity were significantly worse in the group with tinnitus than those in the normal group. The nutritional intake in the tinnitus group was generally low. A regression analysis revealed that a low salt intake was an important risk factor for the development of tinnitus in adults with normal hearing (OR=1.19, p=0.008). Mineral intake may affect the occurrence of tinnitus. In particular, lifestyle associated with low salt intake may be a risk factor for the development of tinnitus