CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Int Arch Otorhinolaryngol 2017; 21(04): 323-328
DOI: 10.1055/s-0037-1598601
Original Research
Thieme Revinter Publicações Ltda Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Variation in the Hearing Threshold in Women during the Menstrual Cycle

Dayse da Silva Souza
1   Postgraduate Program in Cognitive Neuroscience and Behavior, Universidade Federal da Paraíba - UFPB, João Pessoa, Paraíba, Brazil
,
Brunna Luckwu
2   Department of Speech Pathology, UFPB, João Pessoa, Paraíba, Brazil
,
Wagner Teobaldo Lopes de Andrade
2   Department of Speech Pathology, UFPB, João Pessoa, Paraíba, Brazil
,
Luciane Spinelli de Figueiredo Pessoa
2   Department of Speech Pathology, UFPB, João Pessoa, Paraíba, Brazil
,
João Agnaldo do Nascimento
3   Department of Statistics, UFPB, João Pessoa, Paraíba, Brazil
,
Marine Raquel Diniz da Rosa
4   Department of Speech Pathology and of the Postgraduate Program in Cognitive Neuroscience and Behavior, UFPB, João Pessoa, PB, Brazil
› Institutsangaben
Weitere Informationen

Publikationsverlauf

23. August 2016

03. November 2016

Publikationsdatum:
17. Februar 2017 (online)

Abstract

Introduction The hormonal changes that occur during the menstrual cycle and their relationship with hearing problems have been studied. However, they have not been well explained.

Objective The objective of our study is to investigate the variation in hearing thresholds in women during the menstrual cycle.

Method We conducted a cohort and longitudinal study. It was composed of 30 volunteers, aged 18–39 years old, of which 20 were women during the phases of the menstrual cycle and 10 were men (control group) who underwent audiometry and impedance exams, to correlate the possible audiological changes in each phase of the menstrual cycle.

Results There were significant changes in hearing thresholds observed during the menstrual cycle phases in the group of women who used hormonal contraceptives and the group who did not use such contraceptives. Improved hearing thresholds were observed in the late follicular phase in the group who did not use hormonal contraceptives and the hearing thresholds at high frequencies were better. Throughout the menstrual cycle phases, the mean variation was 3.6 db HL between weeks in the group who used hormonal contraceptives and 4.09 db HL in the group who did not use them.

Conclusions The present study found that there may be a relationship between hearing changes and hormonal fluctuations during the menstrual cycle based on changes in the hearing thresholds of women. In addition, this study suggests that estrogen has an otoprotective effect on hearing, since the best hearing thresholds were found when estrogen was at its maximum peak.

Note

We conducted this study at the Speech Pathology School Clinic, UFPB, João Pessoa, PB, Brazil.


 
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