120 Chapter 6 1977-1995) and ‘Generation Z’ (born between 1996-2010) are more focussed on their personal life and health. In literature, these generations (Gen Z and Millennials) rated significantly worse on mental health indices during the Covid-19 period, pointing out that they are a psychologically vulnerable population due to their mental health and maladaptive coping behaviors.13 Although the evidence in literature is very limitted, this hypothesis of potential generational difference might (partialy) explain our findings. Additionally, the increased lifetime exposure to portable listening devices among younger generations may contribute to the higher prevalence of self-reported auditory complaints such as tinnitus in these age groups. Tinnitus normscores are remarkable high with a persistent concern that spans across all age groups, with norm scores already exhibiting a high baseline prevalence. These results can be interpreted in different ways. Suggesting either very high prevalence of tinnitus, very high sensitivity of the instrument OQUA or a combination of both. A recent large systematic review and meta analysis showed that the prevalence of tinnitus did not differ by sex, and that prevalence is correlated with increasing age, with any tinnitus being present in 10% of young adults, 14% of middle-aged adults and 24% of older adults.4 In our results, dizziness appears to be somewhat more pronounced until the age of 50. There are several possible explanations for this result. The prevalence of dizziness in the gerneral population is estimated to be around 20%.14 And of these, approximately 40 percent have peripheral vestibular dysfunction; 10 percent have a central brainstem vestibular lesion; 15 percent have a psychiatric disorder; and 25 percent have other problems, such as presyncope and disequilibrium.15 The diagnosis remains uncertain in approximately 10 percent of affected patients. Stress (including hyperventilation as result) and mental health, with anxiety as improtant factor, can also have an effect on the vestibular system and thus on complaints of dizziness.16 Stress can be negatively affected if work and private life demands are not balanced. OQUA data in the general population show only two complaints with sex differences. In tinnitus these differences are minor but in loss of taste these differences are more pronounced. Loss of taste is notably higher among males, introducing a sex-related dimension to the spectrum of ear-related complaints. This Normative data study was performed during the COVID-19 pandemic, with potential confouding on loss of taste. Olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions are reported as an important complaint, even after otherwise physical recovery of COVID-19 and thus might play an role in the interpretation of results17. Suprisingly being female is considered a risk factor in literature for gustatory sequelae in COVID-19 survivors.18 It should be noted however
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjY0ODMw