Does chronic otitis media cause sensorineural hearing loss?
OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine whether chronic middle ear infection is associated with sensorineural hearing loss. METHOD: Audiometric data from 123 patients with unilateral chronic otitis media were compared using the non-involved ear as a control. The average bone threshold at 500, 1000, and 2000 Hz, the speech reception threshold, and the extent of the disease was compared using the t-test, linear regression, and MANOVA techniques. RESULTS: A highly significant association was found between the presence of chronic otitis media and sensorineural hearing loss. The great variability in our data imply that some individuals are particularly susceptible to chronic otitis media. We offer one suggestion as to why this may occur. CONCLUSION: Sensorineural hearing loss is associated with chronic ear infection with some persons being particularly vulnerable.
