DOI: 10.36347/sjams.2016.v04i08.043

Pages: 2950-2956

Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a common metabolic disorder characterized by variable impairment of the body organs and inappropriate hyperglycemia. This study was undertaken to evaluate auditory function and incidence of hearing impairment in patients with diabetes. In this case-control study, 130 type 2 diabetic patients aged 30 – 55 years and 130 age and sex matched, healthy volunteers were selected. The brainstem evoked response audiometry (BERA) was recorded with RMS EMG EP Marc-II machine. Parameters such as, absolute latencies of wave I, II, III, IV, and V, interpeak latencies I-III, I-V and III-V, were assessed separately for both the ears and analyzed by using unpaired student t-test. Further the cases were classified according to the duration of diabetes, blood glucose levels. Patients with type 2 Diabetes mellitus have subclinical hearing impairment as revealed by impaired auditory brainstem response. In this study diabetic patients showed delayed absolute latencies of wave III and V, IPL I-III and I-V in both the ears when compared to controls, while IPL III-V was delayed only in the left ear. There was a positive correlation between prolongation of latencies and duration of diabetes mellitus. The latencies were also found to be prolonged with altered blood glucose levels. The present study concludes that Patients with type 2 Diabetes mellitus have subclinical hearing impairment as revealed by impaired auditory brainstem response. Meticulous control of blood sugar levels is a must to prevent the early complications of diabetes, so that further damage to auditory pathway can be prevented.