"Tinnitus Treatment Costs Doubled in 9 Years... Female Patients 1.4 Times More Than Males"

by Lee Gwanju

Published 19 Sep.2022 09:59(KST)

Research Team Led by Korean Medicine Doctor Min Tae-woon at Jaseng Hospital of Korean Medicine Spine and Joint Research Institute

Acupuncture treatment.

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-ju] The medical expenses for tinnitus patients in South Korea have nearly doubled over the past nine years. Among the patients, 6 out of 10 are middle-aged or older, and the condition occurs more frequently in women than in men.

The research team led by Korean Medicine Doctor Min Tae-woon at Jaseng Spine and Joint Research Institute analyzed the characteristics and medical usage status of tinnitus patients in South Korea from 2010 to 2018 using data from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA), announced on the 19th.

Tinnitus refers to the perception of sound without any external stimulus. It occurs due to abnormal hypersensitivity in the neural pathways that detect sound, causing noises such as wind or mechanical sounds in one or both ears. The primary cause is hearing loss due to aging, making it a common condition that almost everyone experiences at least once as they grow older. Recently, the number of tinnitus patients has increased due to listening habits involving earphones, urban noise, and stress, highlighting the growing importance of hearing care.

The research team selected 94,323 patients diagnosed with tinnitus who received at least one treatment at Korean medicine or Western medicine institutions based on HIRA data. In demographic analysis, there were 39,495 men and 54,828 women, with women experiencing tinnitus about 1.4 times more frequently. By age group, 55-64 years (22.68%), 65-74 years (20.6%), and 45-54 years (18.95%) accounted for a combined 62.2% of middle-aged and older patients.

The number of medical visits by tinnitus patients increased from 32,791 cases in 2010 to 37,744 cases in 2018. Particularly, total treatment costs doubled from $552,801 in 2010 to $1,110,784 in 2018. When aggregating the average total medical usage costs over nine years for all medical institutions treating tinnitus, consultation fees ($328,971), examination fees ($249,171), and treatment fees ($124,039) ranked in that order.

In Korean medicine institutions, treatment fees were highest at $120,084, showing a tendency to focus on treating and alleviating patients' symptoms. Conversely, Western medicine institutions emphasized precise examinations of patients' conditions, with examination fees ($249,171) and consultation fees ($246,793) accounting for a large portion. The most frequently performed procedures were acupuncture treatment (203,723 cases) in Korean medicine and detailed examinations (141,201 cases) in Western medicine.

The research team also analyzed trends in medications used for tinnitus. The most frequently prescribed drugs were blood circulation enhancers, although their usage decreased annually. With the proven therapeutic effects of ginkgo biloba extract, one of the main components of tinnitus treatments, prescriptions for tinnitus medications increased 3.5 times. Along with research linking dizziness and tinnitus, prescriptions for dizziness treatments also increased 12.5 times.

Korean Medicine Doctor Min Tae-woon stated, “This study is significant as it analyzed sample data of tinnitus patients in South Korea and suggested directions for the improvement of health policy reimbursement systems.” He added, “Considering that no national-level studies on the usage of Korean and Western medical institutions by tinnitus patients have been presented so far, this research can serve as a reference for future treatment and management of tinnitus patients.”