Journal of AdvancedMedical and Dental Sciences Research

Background: The influence of the thyroid gland on hearing and the inner ear is one of the concerning factor in the area of medicine in today’s scenario. There are both clinical and laboratory evidences that hypothyroidism produces derangement in the hearing and vestibular system. Hypothyroidism is a cause of genetic and environmentally induced deafness. Hearing loss has been reported to be associated with thyroid disorders. Hence; we undertook the present study to assess the origin of hearing loss in hypothyroid cases. Materials & methods: The present study included assessment of 60 patients who reported with the chief compliant of hypothyroidism and were undergoing treatment for the same for past minimum of 1 year. All the patients were divided into two study groups. Group 1 comprised of the patient group while Group 2 comprised of the control subjects. All the follow-up records were recorded and analyzed with SPSS software. Results: The mean threshold of hearing at 250 frequencies in group 1 at pre-treatment and post-treatment time was 18.9 and 18.01 dB respectively. Significant results were obtained while comparing the mean thresholds at pre-treatment and post-treatment time at 4000 Hz and higher frequency. Significant results were obtained in comparing the mean threshold in group 2 at pre-treatment and post-treatment time at frequency of less than 2000 Hz. Conclusion: Hearing loss at higher frequencies is found to be associated with hypothyroid group

Key words: Ear, Hearing, Hypothyroidism