Does Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome Have Negative Effects on Hearing?

Introduction: The our aim was to research the occurrence of hearing loss associated with the effect of hypoxemia on inner ear structures owing to sleep apnea syndrome and to designate the timely signs of cochlear injury. Materials and Methods: Participants diagnosed with probable sleep-disordered breathing among 63 patients, who experienced polysomnographic examination, were unexcluded in the present study. Control and study groups were structured in four groups pursuant to the apnea-hypopnea index and an intergroup comparison of audiometric parameters was performed. Accordingly, the apnea-hypopnea index, speech discrimination scores, speech recognition thresholds, and pure tone thresholds were compared. Results: A comparison of the obstructive sleep apnea groups by the degree of hearing loss indicated that there were significant differences by the average pure tone audiometry, average speech recognition thresholds, and average speech discrimination scores in both ears between the four groups (p<0.001). Conclusion: The results of the study proposed that intermittent hypoxemia due to obstructive sleep apnea syndrome might have adverse effects on both the speech discrimination and hearing.

Determining the effect of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome on peripheral vestibular system and hearing.

There have been studies in the literature regarding the effect of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome on hearing function, but studies on the effect of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome on the peripheral vestibular system are limited. The aim of the present study was to determine whether obstructive sleep apnea syndrome causes functional neurological changes, particularly in the peripheral vestibular system, using the video head impulse test. Overall, 57 patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome were included; the 'Snorers' group comprised 20 volunteers diagnosed with simple snoring in the polysomnography test. The severity of apnea was assessed by monitoring cardiac and respiratory functions during sleep in both groups. The video head impulse test and audiological evaluations were performed in both groups. Statistically significant differences were found in the cochlea and semicircular canals of our patients in the video head impulse test and audiological battery tests. It may be assumed that decreased blood oxygen concentrations and chronic hypoxaemia have negative effects on the vestibule, cochlear sensory epithelium, and the auditory pathways. We think that inner ear structures and pathways may be affected due to hypoxia in obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. Therefore, screening patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome with an audiometry battery may help to detect inner ear pathologies early.

Evaluation of Hearing Thresholds by Using a Mobile Application in Children with Otitis Media with Effusion.

OBJECTIVE: Otitis media with effusion (OME) is the most common cause of hearing loss in children. Early diagnosis is important as hearing loss affects speech and language development in children. The aim of this study was to compare conventional audiometry with the Android mobile operating system application Hearing TestTM in the evaluation of hearing thresholds in children with OME and to determine the accuracy and reliability of the mobile application. Design and Study Sample: Fifty school-age children aged between 5 and 15 years with OME in at least 1 ear were included in the study. First, hearing thresholds were obtained by conventional audiometric methods and the degree of hearing loss was determined. Then, the hearing thresholds of the patients were measured using the smartphone-based Hearing TestTM application. The data were compared using Cohen's kappa analysis. RESULTS: OME was detected in 88 ears. There was no statistically significant correlation between the hearing threshold results obtained with the mobile phone and conventional audiometry at 500, 1,000, 2,000, and 4,000 Hz. CONCLUSION: The Android mobile phone application Hearing TestTM (version 1.1.3) is not an appropriate screening test to detect hearing loss in children with OME.