Evaluation of auditory functions in patients with asthma

The objective of this study is to evaluate the auditory functions in chronic asthma patients with the use of pure tone high frequency audiometry.

Twenty-two healthy controls and 42 adult patients were included as a prospective, randomized, and controlled study. Pulmonary function tests and blood gas studies were completed on all subjects. Asthma patients have divided into two groups [Group A: Arterial oxygen tension (PaO2) > 75 mmHg, Group B: PaO2 ≤ 75 mmHg, Group C: Control group). Acoustic assessments of patients were performed in 250-20,000 Hz by using pure-tone audiometry (PTA) and tympanometry.

The mean value of air and bone conduction hearing threshold levels were in normal range for all groups. All patients had normal peripheral hearing all threshold levels across 250 Hz to 3000 Hz in the both ears. Significant differences were observed between the chronic asthma patients and control group for the extended high frequencies (10,000-20,000 Hz). Group B had statistically more significant increased hearing threshold levels than Group A in frequencies higher than 10,000 Hz. There were no statistical differences between the hearing threshold levels and FEV1, FVC, FEV1/FVC and tympanogram results in the groups.

This is the first study of evaluating the auditory functions in asthma patients. Sensorineural hearing loss in high frequencies (10,000 Hz-20,000 Hz) is common in chronic asthma and is probably present more often than were formerly thought.