Abstract
Introduction Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a breathing disorder related to sleep that has a
negative effect on the behavior and health of people around the globe. Chronic hypoxemia
and variations in the concentration of oxygen in the blood noticed in OSA individuals
may have adverse effects on the process of auditory transduction and transmission.
Objective To assess the effect of OSA on hearing and to find out the parameters that have more
influence on hearing recorded during polysomnography of patients with OSA.
Methods The present is a hospital-based, observational, analytical, cross-sectional study
conducted over a period of one year. After application of the exclusion criteria,
the patients were then submitted to the application of the Berlin questionnaire, as
well as polysomnography, impedance, and pure tone audiometry (PTA).
Results A total of 58 individuals were studied. Age, gender, and height were comparable among
cases and controls, while weight, body mass index (BMI), and neck circumference were
significantly higher in cases in comparison to controls. The mean PTA was significantly
higher at 10 kHz or higher frequencies in cases in comparison to controls.
Conclusion We observed that there is evidence that the auditory mechanism is affected in OSA
patients. We recommend early auditory screening of OSA patients for timely diagnosis
and to raise awareness about its prevention.
Keywords
sleep apnea - obstructive sleep apnea - polysomnography - audiometry
