Otorhinolaryngological studies in diabetics

A total of 50 patients with diabetes mellitus were the subject matter of this study. Of these, 13 patients had diabetic neuropathy on clinical evaluation. Amongst the group of patients without diabetic neuropathy, 64.86% had sensorineural hearing loss and 21.6% patients had conductive deafness as compared to patients with diabetic neuropathy having sensorineural hearing loss in 69.2% and conductive deafness in 23% cases. The hearing threshold were found to be within normal limits in deabetics with or without neuropathy at lower frequencies but it was significantly incressed at higher frequencies (4000 Hz and 8000 Hz) in patients with diabetic neuropathy when compared with diabetic patients without neuropathy. The hearing threshold were increased at higher frequencies in uncontrolled diabetics. This was significant when compared with diabetics with normal fasting plasma glucose. The values of these tests as diagnostic and prognostic tools presently remains of no avail. However, it is hoped that with better precision and sophistication they may be utilised to detect finer sensorineural loss in diabetics, much before the development of long term complication inflicting the nervous system. This study also underlies the importance of looking for the hearing defects in diabetics which may be insignificant to the patient in face of apprehension for the disease itself.