109 Ear complaints in a general population; the Normative data of the Otology Questionnaire Amsterdam in the Netherlands 6 Background Adult patients who present themselves with ear disease to an Ear-, Nose- and Throat (ENT) surgeon often report multiple concurent complaints. This observation was confirmed during the development of the Otology Questionnaire Amsterdam (OQUA), a domain-specific PROM designed to assess a wide range of ear-related symptoms and their impact on quality of life. Focus group interviews with patients suffering from various ear diseasesrevealed that the spectrum of complaints is broader then often assumed.1 Furthermore, ear-related complaints are often not specific to one disease and may even occur in otherwise healty individuals, yet they represent some of the most prominent symptoms reported by patients with ear problems. Hearing loss is the most reported ear complaint2, By 2050, a projected 2.45 billion people will have hearing loss, a 56,1% (47·3-65·2) increase from 2019, despite stable age-standardised prevalence.3 The rising prevalence of hearing complaints underline the importance of well validated PROMs with high interpretability. Next to hearing loss, tinnitus is a major complaint in ENT practise. Tinnitus can be temporary or chronic and can affect one or both ears. Worldwide prevalence is estimated to be between 10 and 24%.4 Tinnitus is most frequently associated with hearing loss and other inner- and middle ear disease. Even though tinnitus is not a main reason to do surgery, because of the burden of tinnitus it is important to evaluate this complaint peri-operative. Especially as it can be one of the most prominent complaints post-treatment and interfere with the overall perceived success of the treatment.5 Dizziness and balance problems is a third common complaint often heard in the ENT practice. Dizziness is a complex problem with prevalence in the general population estimated to be around 20%. Dizziness is a complex complaint because of the wide variety of diseases causing dizziness and a diverse range of appearance. Other frequently mentioned ear complaints can be explained by a variety of diseases, most often in patient with a ear infection (otitis), or cholesteatoma. Patients with otitis or cholesteatoma may present with a variety of symptoms such as pain (otalgia), itching of the ear, ear pressure or ear discharge. Complaints may be present at first consultation before surgery, but might also be a complication of surgery.6,7 Loss of taste after surgery can be explained by manipulation
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