Patients with obstructive sleep apnea have increased risk of tinnitus: Study

A new study published in the journal of Sleep and Breathing found that people with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) were 43% more likely than people without OSA to experience tinnitus. 

The ability to perceive sound without the aid of outside stimuli is known as tinnitus. Significant variation exists in the cause, intensity, and impact of tinnitus, underlining its complex character. Because of this variety, tinnitus cannot be fully explained by a single mechanism, and there is no one treatment that works for everyone. In addition to this, mental health, quality of life, and everyday functioning can all be negatively impacted by severe tinnitus.

One known risk factor for making tinnitus-related suffering worse is sleep disturbance. On the other hand, annoying tinnitus is a risk factor for poor sleep, which feeds the vicious cycle. There has been growing evidence in recent years that sleep disorders and hearing loss are related. Both population-based and clinic-based cohorts revealed that patients with an OSA diagnosis had greater rates of audiometry-measured hearing loss. So, Chao Wang and colleagues used NHANES data from 2005 to 2020 to examine the relationship between tinnitus and obstructive sleep apnea.

This study involved a total of 4871 participants who were 16 years of age or older and examined data from NHANES (National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys) that were carried out between 2005 and 2020. The Multivariate Apnea Prediction Index and the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey factors were used to evaluate OSA.

The participants who reported experiencing a ringing, roaring, or buzzing sound in their ears or head for 5 minutes or more during the previous 12 months were considered to have tinnitus. To investigate the relationship between OSA and tinnitus, logistic regression models were utilized. The total prevalence of tinnitus in the study cohort was 16.5%, with 46.49% of females and 53.51% of males. Tinnitus and OSA were significantly correlated after adjusting for possible variables.

Overall, based on these results, OSA may be a risk factor for tinnitus. Future studies into the possible mechanism behind the link between sleep problems and tinnitus, as well as the investigation of conjunctive therapeutic options for both challenging-to-treat disorders, will be influenced by these findings.

Reference:

Wang, C., Shi, M., Xie, L., Qin, Z., Li, W., Wang, D., Peng, W., Wu, J., & Li, Y. (2025). Association between obstructive sleep apnea and Tinnitus in the United States: NHANES 2005–2020. Sleep And Breathing, 29(1). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11325-025-03243-0