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Auditory evaluation in patients with type 1 diabetes
Adriana Bueno Benito Pessin1, Regina Helena Garcia Martins, Walkyíria de Paula Pimenta
1Departments of Otorhinolaryngology, Ophthalmology and Head and Neck Surgery, School of Medicine, São Paulo State University, Botucatu, Brazil.
The Annals of Otology, Rhinology, and Laryngology
|June 21, 2008
Summary
Type 1 diabetes patients frequently experience tinnitus and hearing loss. Early signs of hearing impairment, including delayed auditory brain stem response, can occur even with normal audiograms.
Area of Science:
- Otolaryngology
- Endocrinology
- Audiology
Background:
- Type 1 diabetes is a chronic condition requiring ongoing management.
- Cochleovestibular symptoms, including hearing loss and tinnitus, can be associated with diabetes.
- Understanding these symptoms and their risk factors is crucial for patient care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate cochleovestibular symptoms in patients with type 1 diabetes.
- To identify risk factors and characteristics of hearing loss in this population.
- To compare auditory function between diabetic patients and a control group.
Main Methods:
- A prospective study involving 40 patients with type 1 diabetes and 20 controls.
- Data collection included questionnaires, medical record review, and otorhinolaryngological examinations.
- Auditory assessments comprised pure tone audiometry, acoustic immitance, and auditory brain stem response (ABR) tests.
Main Results:
- Incipient nephropathy was observed in 47.5% of type 1 diabetes patients.
- Tinnitus and hearing loss were the most common symptoms.
- Sensorineural hearing loss, mild and high-frequency, was noted in 4 patients, associated with longer diabetes duration and poor glycemic control.
- Delayed ABR interpeak latency I-III occurred in 11.25% of diabetic ears, sometimes with normal audiometric thresholds.
Conclusions:
- Tinnitus and hearing loss are prevalent cochleovestibular symptoms in type 1 diabetes.
- Hearing loss is typically mild, symmetric, and high-frequency.
- ABR latency delays indicate subclinical auditory pathway dysfunction in some patients, even with normal hearing.
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