Evaluation of the Effect of Hypothyroidism on Acquired Hearing Loss

Abstract

Background: For decades, many studies have suggested a possible relationship between hypothyroidism and hearing loss, which is of great importance considering that both conditions affect the individual's life physically and mentally. The hypotheses explaining the existence of this relationship were based on the fact that the thyroid gland and its hormones are essential for the growth, development and normal function of the body's organs, including the ear.

Methods: Case-Control Study 121 patients with clinical and subclinical hypothyroidism who attended the Endocrinology and Metabolism Clinic at Tishreen University Hospital in Lattakia participated in the study during the period from June 2023 to July 2024, which is the sample of study patients, with a sample of 103 people without hypothyroidism as a control sample. The two samples were close in age and gender for the purpose of comparison between them.

Results: The percentage of hearing loss in patients with hypothyroidism was 29.8% compared to 8.7% in the control sample with statistically significant differences (P=0.0001). When comparing the two research groups, there were statistically significant differences (P=0.04) regarding the type of hearing loss most common in the context of hypothyroidism, which was Sensorineural. As the severity of hypothyroidism, based on TSH values, increased, the frequency and degree of hearing loss increases, with a statistically significant relationship (P=0.001). Also, the longer hypothyroidism lasts, the greater the degree of hearing loss, with statistically significant differences (P=0.0001).

Conclusion: The relationship between hypothyroidism and hearing loss was confirmed, and the effect of the metabolic deficiency in the context of hypothyroidism on the auditory system and the type and degree of the most common hearing loss were evaluated.