Tinnitus in pregnancy

Abstract

The presence of tinnitus in pregnancy was investigated by a postal questionnaire survey. A group of pregnant women attending the ante-natal clinic and a control group of non-pregnant members of the nursing staff at the Royal United Hospital in Bath were studied. The prevalence of tinnitus in the pregnant and non-pregnant women was compared. Both groups were similar in age, previous noise exposure and the presence of ear disease or operations. Twenty-five per cent of the pregnant women reported tinnitus compared with 11% of the control group. Chi-square analysis of this data gives a value of chi 2 = 4.07, d.f. = 1, P < 0.05. The result of our survey shows that there is significantly increased prevalence of tinnitus in pregnant women compared with a similar non-pregnant control group. This association has not been previously reported.