- Journal of Contemporary Medicine
- Vol: 13 Issue: 2
- Is there a relation between sleep apnea, tinnitus, and hearing Loss?
Is there a relation between sleep apnea, tinnitus, and hearing Loss?
Authors : Nurcan Yurtsever Kum, Serpil Alluşoğlu, Mehmet Ali Çetin, Fatma Cemre Sazak Kundi, Ali Rıza Yağmur, Mustafa Çolak, Aykut Ikincioğullari, Kürşat Murat Özcan, Haci Hüseyin Dere
Pages : 288-293
Doi:10.16899/jcm.1246971
View : 9 | Download : 4
Publication Date : 2023-03-22
Article Type : Research
Abstract :Abstract Background Chronic hypoxia may lead to auditory dysfunction in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and this dysfunction may worsen OSA, creating a vicious circle. The aim of this study was to investigate tinnitus and hearing loss in OSA patients. Methods A total of 147 patients were included in the study. After polysomnography (PSG), the patients with an apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) ≥ 5 were included in OSA group, and the ones with an AHI<5 were included in the simple snoring group. The OSA patients were divided into three OSA severity subgroups as mild, moderate and severe OSA subgroups. Standard pure-tone audiometry (PTA) (0.5, 1, 2, 4 kHz) and high-frequency audiometry (8, 10, 12 kHz) were performed, and Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) was applied to all participants. Audiological results and THI scores were compared among the study groups. Results The OSA group consisted of 46 (36.5%) female, 80 (63.5%) male, and a total of 126 patients. The simple snoring group included 13 (61.9%) female, 8 (38.1%) male, and a total of 21 patients. The mean body mass index, hearing thresholds in all tested frequencies and THI scores were significantly higher in OSA group (p=0.024, p=0.001, p=0.015, p=0.017, p=0.039, p=0.002 and p=0.001, respectively). THI score showed a statistically significant and positive correlation with the AHI (p=0.004; r=0.252). The mean THI score was significantly lower in mild OSAS subgroup compared to moderate and severe OSA subgroups (p=0.019). Conclusions OSA, hearing impairment and tinnitus are either comorbidities or related etiologically. Higher prevalence of hearing impairment in OSA patients compared to simple snorers suggests that intermittent nocturnal hypoxia, rather than sound of snoring plays a role in hearing impairment.Keywords : Tinnitus., İşitme kaybı, Obstrüktif uyku apnesi, Polisomnografi