Abstract

BackgroundAccording to the World Health Organization (WHO), hearing loss (HL) has a significant disease burden with a global prevalence as high a 5% with an expected exponential rise in the coming years. HL has medical, social, and psychological implications on one’s health. A significant proportion of HL cases might be the result of preventable conditions, especially among the young. AimTo estimate the pattern of HL and its correlates among adolescent, adult, and elderly populations in the southern regions of Saudi Arabia.MethodologyA retrospective observational study was carried out between May 2018 and April 2019 across four different ENT clinics located across Saudi Arabia. We included all patients who had a clinical diagnosis of conductive, sensorineural, or mixed HL with varying degrees of severity tested via Pure Tone Audiometer (PTA).ResultsWe included 332 cases with HL, ages ranged from 14 to 62 years old with a mean age of 45.2 ±12.6 years. HL was bilateral in 72% of the cases and was associated with tinnitus in 43.1% of cases. Sensorineural HL was the predominant pattern of HL among the elderly and conductive pattern was more common among the young. Causes such as infections, congenital causes, and age-related damage were among the key causes of HL. ConclusionOur study showed that HL might be more prevalent among the Saudi population than previously reported. Sensorineural HL is most common among the elderly. However, conductive HL following ear infections is the main cause of HL among young. Therefore, there is a need for significant improvement in public health surrounding ear health to prevent reversible causes of HL, especially among the young.

Highlights

  • Hearing loss (HL) or hearing impairment represents partial or complete inability to hear

  • A significant proportion of hearing loss (HL) cases might be the result of preventable conditions, especially among the young

  • Sensorineural HL was the predominant pattern of HL among the elderly and conductive pattern was more common among the young

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Summary

Introduction

Hearing loss (HL) or hearing impairment represents partial or complete inability to hear. The challenges posed by HL can range from emotional distress to impaired socialization and difficulties in learning. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), an estimated 5% of the global population (466 million people) have disabling HL. The WHO report estimates that 34 million children have disabling HL and 60% of cases of childhood HL result from preventable causes [2]. The report predicts that the cases of HL will rise to over 900 million by 2050 [2]. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), hearing loss (HL) has a significant disease burden with a global prevalence as high a 5% with an expected exponential rise in the coming years. A significant proportion of HL cases might be the result of preventable conditions, especially among the young

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