In Brief:
Worldwide to date, there have been relatively few epidemiological studies of tinnitus in large, older populations that have comprehensively assessed its risk factors. Even fewer have used objective measures in hearing examinations. The Blue Mountains Hearing Study (BMHS), conducted from 1997 to 1999, examined 2015 participants aged 55 years or older living in a defined area, west of Sydney, Australia, and has assessed risk factors for tinnitus. In a multivariate model, factors that significantly increased the risk of tinnitus were poorer hearing and cochlear function, self-reported work-related noise exposure, and a history of middle ear or sinus infections, severe neck injury, or migraine. It is possible that timely health interventions to reduce or limit these exposures and the development of age-related hearing loss could decrease tinnitus risk.