NOTICE PAPER NO. 1608
NOTICE OF QUESTION FOR ORAL ANSWER
FOR THE SITTING OF PARLIAMENT ON 09 JANUARY 2023
Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament
Mr Gan Thiam Poh,
MP for Ang Mo Kio GRC
Question No. 3984
To ask the Minister for Health (a) of those who have been diagnosed with tinnitus, how many are (i) above 60 years old and (ii) below 60 years old respectively; and (b) whether studies have found that tinnitus is a contributory cause of noise complaints in neighbour disputes.
Answer
Tinnitus is a perception of a buzzing, ringing or hissing sound in the absence of an external source. Common causes of tinnitus include age-related hearing loss, noise-induced hearing loss and earwax impaction. Other pathological causes include perforation of the eardrum, fluid in the middle ear as well as Meniere’s disease which is an inner ear disorder with other associated symptoms of dizziness, hearing loss and blocked ear.
Large population studies worldwide have found that the prevalence of tinnitus increases with age and peaks between 60 to 69 years of age. Locally, 17% of 72,000 Singaporeans aged 60 and above who underwent hearing screening under Project Silver Screen between 2018 and 2020 reported “ringing in the ear”.
There are no clinical studies reporting that tinnitus is a contributory cause of noise complaints in neighbour disputes.