Does Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome Have Negative Effects on Hearing?

Area of Science:

• Otolaryngology
• Sleep Medicine
• Audiology

Background:

• Sleep apnea syndrome is linked to intermittent hypoxemia.
• Hypoxemia may impact inner ear structures, potentially causing cochlear injury.
• Early detection of cochlear damage signs is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate hearing loss associated with hypoxemia in sleep apnea.
• To identify early indicators of cochlear damage in patients with sleep apnea syndrome.
• To correlate apnea-hypopnea index with audiometric parameters.

Main Methods:

• Sixty-three patients with probable sleep-disordered breathing underwent polysomnography.
• Participants were categorized into four groups based on apnea-hypopnea index.
• Audiometric parameters, including pure tone thresholds and speech scores, were compared between groups.

Main Results:

• Significant differences in pure tone audiometry, speech recognition thresholds, and speech discrimination scores were observed between the four obstructive sleep apnea groups (p<0.001).
• Hearing loss and impaired speech discrimination were more pronounced in groups with higher apnea-hypopnea index.
• The findings indicate a correlation between OSA severity and the degree of hearing impairment.

Conclusions:

• Intermittent hypoxemia from obstructive sleep apnea syndrome adversely affects hearing.
• Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome can lead to both hearing loss and reduced speech discrimination.
• Timely diagnosis and management of sleep apnea may help prevent or mitigate hearing damage.