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

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