A Prospective study of effect of onset type 2 diabetes mellitus on hearing in a tertiary care hospital

Abstract

Introduction: Diabetes Mellitus is a multisystem disorder of impaired carbohydrate, fat, protein metabolism caused by either lack of insulin secretion (Type 1) or decreased sensitivity of tissues to insulin (Type 2).The vascular complications are micro vascular (retinopathy, neuropathy, nephropathy) and macro vascular (coronary artery disease, peripheral vascular disease, cerebro vascular disease).Materials and Methods: The present study was conducted on diabetic patients selected randomly from Department of Medicine, Maheshwara Medical College and hospital, Chitkul (V), Near Isnapur X Roads, Patancheru (M), SangareddyDist, Telangana, India. 75 individuals (150 ears) who have type 2 DM participated in the study. Informed consent was obtained from all the subjects enrolled in the study after explaining to them in detail about the study in their own language.Results: The prevalence of SNHL in diabetic patients was studied under the following parameters: Whether SNHL was sudden or gradual in onset. Whether the degree of SNHL is slight (16 –25 dB) /mild (26 –40 dB) /moderate (41-55 dB) /severe (56 –70 dB).Descriptive statistics was done to measure mean and standard deviation. Inferential statistics was also carried out through independent t test to find out P value.Conclusion: Hearing impairment is an under recognized complication of early onset type 2 DM. The relationship between diabetes and hearing loss is controversial. The present study was undertaken to understand the disease better and to know its influence on hearing acuity. It was found that there is association of SNHL in type 2 DM and prevalence of SNHL in poorly controlled diabetic patients was 96.4%.