Clinical and Audiometric Assessment of Hearing Loss in Diabetes Mellitus

Abstract

Hyperglycemia has been reported to cause hearing loss. We evaluated hyperglycemic subjects with controls undergoing pure tone audiometry. Hundred subjects were divided into case (n = 50, diabetes mellitus patients) and control (n = 50, non DM subjects). Pure tone audiometry was performed for subjects. Degree of hearing loss was categorized as mild, moderate, moderately severe, severe and profound hearing loss. Out of 50 cases, 26% had normal hearing, 20% had moderately and 28% had moderately severe hearing loss. Longer duration of diabetes (p = 0.031) was significant predictor of moderately severe, severe and profound SNHL. Profound SNHL was more common in those with > 200 fasting blood sugar (p = 0.001) and severe and profound SNHL was common in those having > 300 random blood sugar (p = 0.004). To conclude age, duration and severity of diabetes was the significant predictor of hearing loss in patients of diabetes mellitus.

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