Comparative audiometric evaluation of hearing loss between the premenopausal and postmenopausal period in young women

The aim of this study was to determine the audiologic status and severity of hearing loss in different frequencies between the premenopausal and postmenopausal period in women.

This prospective study involved 28 premenopausal and 27 postmenopausal women. Premenopausal and postmenopausal women were younger than 46 years. Age range for premenopausal and menopause patients was 37 to 46 years. The mean age of menopause women with sensorineural hearing loss in our study was not suitable for the age range of presbyacousis that is commonly seen. Each subject was tested with low- (250-2000 Hz) and high-frequency (4000-8000 Hz) audiometry. For each set of tests, mean values of air conduction at each frequency were calculated for the premenopausal and postmenopausal groups and compared.

The mean ages of the women on premenopausal and postmenopausal groups were 42.0 ± 2.4 and 43.4 ± 2.6 years, respectively. Duration of menopausal period in second group was 2.03 ± 0.85 years. The corresponding mean body mass indexes were 29.7 ± 2.9 and 31.1 ± 3.8 kg/m(2). There was no statistical significance between the 2 groups in mean ages and mean body mass indexes. Hearing thresholds at low and high frequencies were analyzed between the 2 groups in Table 2. At low (250, 500, 1000, and 2000 Hz) and high frequencies (4000, 6000, and 8000 Hz), the mean air-conduction threshold values between the 2 groups were not statistically significant.

Estrogen deficiency may not elevate hearing thresholds in early postmenopausal period; however, further studies of larger series are needed to confirm this.