Tinnitus has a clear impact on quality of life among adults. Almost one in four feels adversely affected by tinnitus. Data from 2,800 participants showed that tinnitus affected almost 25 percent of the adults of the study to a certain degree. Nine percent suffered from moderate to severe tinnitus. The impact of tinnitus on quality of life was assessed through physical and mental health tests. It was found that the physical aspects were more affected than the psychological ones. Tinnitus clearly affects participants more in terms of a physical pain and stress level than on a mental and emotional level. The study also showed that the impact of tinnitus on the quality of life increases with the severity of the tinnitus. The study carried out by researchers of the University of Wisconsin at Madison in the USA estimates that tinnitus will affect more and more adults due to increased life span. (source hear-it.org)