2022 NHCA Annual Virtual Conference

Tinnitus, a phantom perception of ringing, buzzing, or other noise in the ears or head in the absence of an external sound source, is a common condition that affects about 10% of US adults (Bhatt et al. 2016). Oxidative stress is a major contributor to tinnitus. Exogenic risk factors for tinnitus, such as noise exposure and smoking, are known to cause oxidative stress. The direct evaluation of oxidative stress in the auditory system is not feasible in humans. However, the systemic oxidative stress, as assessed by urinary volatile organic compounds (VOC), might be used as a proxy measure for oxidative stress in the auditory system. We utilized the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database to investigate the relationship between urinary VOC metabolites and tinnitus. Our analysis identified four VOC metabolites (creatinine, N-acetyl-S-(2-cyanoethyl)-L-cysteine, N-acetyl-S-(3-Hydroxypropyl)-L-cysteine, and 2-methylhippuric acid) associated with tinnitus. Our results suggest that urinary VOC metabolites might be used as potential biomarkers for tinnitus.