ABSTRACT
Purpose:
to identify the audiological characteristics of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.
Methods:
Cross-sectional study in secondary care unit for diabetes in Fortaleza, April-July 2010. The sample comprised 152 patients with type 2 diabetes, regardless of sex, between 36 and 60 years of age. Held pure tone audiometry (PTA), transient-evoked otoacoustic emissions (TEOAE) and distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAE).
Results:
association of age and time of diagnosis with hearing loss, and the time of diagnosis with the absence of DPOAE. It was observed sensorineural hearing loss in 63.2% of patients, which 71.9% were bilateral and 75% symmetric. Approximately 50% of hearing loss had flat configuration. TOAEs were absent in 75% of the patients and DPOAE in 78.9%. There were no otoacoustic emissions in the presence of normal PTA, on average, 32% of the patients on the right and 48% on the left. The presence of otoacoustic emissions on the occurrence of hearing loss was observed in approximately 30% of patients for TEOAE and 14% for DPOAE on the right; and 25% for TEOAE and 11% for DPOAE on the left.
Conclusions:
Prevalence of symmetrical bilateral sensorineural hearing loss with a flat configuration, and absence of TEOAE and DPOAE. The association analysis of the results of PTA and OAE suggests loss of outer hair cells of the cochlea or possible auditory neuropathy. These findings justify the hearing monitoring of these patients, as well as conducting specific tests to evaluate the central auditory system.
Keywords:
Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2; Hearing; Evaluation; Audiometry; Cochlea
