Skip to main content
The Egyptian Journal of Bronchology
Download PDF
  • Original article
  • Open access
  • Published:

Audiological assessment in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Egyptian Journal of Bronchology volume 11, pages 98–103 (2017)Cite this article

Abstract

Background

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), as a multisystemic disease, might have an impact on the auditory function. Thus, this study was designed for the audiological assessment of COPD patients to investigate the effect of smoking, and to further assess its possible correlation with the severity of COPD.

Patients and methods

This prospective case–control study was conducted on 100 male patients with COPD with a mean age of 52.66±6.84 years. In addition, 25 healthy nonsmoker male participants with a mean age of 45.5±6.75 years were enrolled as the control group. For all COPD patients and controls, tympanometry and pure-tone audiometry at frequencies 250–8000 Hz were performed by an experienced audiologist.

Results

Tympanometry type C was observed in the right ear of 30 COPD patients and in the left ear of 28 COPD patients. All low and high frequency tone audiometry differed significantly between COPD patients and controls (P<0.001), and the cutoff for changes in auditory function was 15 dB at both low and high frequency tones with 96% sensitivity and 100% specificity. Audiometry and tympanometry in COPD patients were not affected by either the smoking status or the type of smoking (P>0.05). Both low and high frequency tone audiometry correlated significantly and inversely with partial pressure of oxygen and forced expiratory volume in the first second, whereas the annual COPD exacerbations correlated significantly and directly.

Conclusion

Changes in auditory function but not hearing loss is common in COPD and such audiological changes were not affected by smoking but correlates with the degree of airway obstruction and hypoxia as well as the rate of annual COPD exacerbation.

References

  1. Barnes PJ, Celli BR. Systemic manifestations and comorbidities of COPD. Eur Respir J 2009; 335:1165–1185.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Soriano JB, Visick GT, Muellerova H, Payvandi N, Hansell AL. Patterns of comorbidities in newly diagnosed COPD and asthma in primary care. Chest 2005; 128:2099–2107.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Mannino DM, Thorn D, Swensen A, Holguin F. Prevalence and outcomes of diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular disease in COPD. Eur Respir J 2008; 32:962–969.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Sin DD, Anthonisen NR, Soriano JB, Agusti AG. Mortality in COPD: Role of comorbidities. Eur Respir J 2006; 28:1245–1257.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Iversen KK, Kjaergaard J, Akkan D, Kober L, Torp-Pedersen C, Hassager C, et al. The prognostic importance of lung function in patients admitted with heart failure. Eur J Heart Fail 2010; 12:685–691.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Almagro P, Soriano JB, Cabrera FJ, Boixeda R, Alonso-Ortiz MB, Barreiro B, et al. Short- and medium-term prognosis in patients hospitalized for COPD exacerbation: the CODEX index. Chest 2014; 145:972–980.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Miller J, Edwards LD, Agustí A, Bakke P, Calverley PM, Celli B, et al. Comorbidity, systemic inflammation and outcomes in the ECLIPSE cohort. Respir Med 2013; 107:1376–1384.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Campo G, Napoli N, Serenelli C, Tebaldi M, Ferrari R. Impact of a recent hospitalization on treatment and prognosis of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction. Int J Cardiol 2013; 167:296–297.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Diseases. Global strategy for the diagnosis, management and prevention of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; 2017. Available at: http://www.goldcopd.com

  10. Lamprecht B, McBurnie MA, Vollmer WM, Gudmundsson G, Welte T, Nizankowska-Mogilnicka E, et al. COPD in never smokers: results from the population-based burden of obstructive lung disease study. Chest 2011; 139:752–763.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Kumar A, Gulati R, Singhal S, Hasan A, Khan A. The effect of smoking on the hearing status − a hospital based study. J Clin Diagn Res 2013; 7:210–214.

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  12. Sharabi Y, Reshef-Haran I, Burstein M, Eldad A. Cigarette smoking and hearing loss: lessons from the young adult periodic examinations in Israel (YAPEIS) database. Isr Med Assoc J 2002; 4:1118–1120.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. el-Kady MA, Durrant JD, Tawfik S, Abdel-Ghany S, Moussa AM. Study of auditory function in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases. Hear Res 2006; 212:109–116.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Atiş S, Ozge A, Sevim S. The brainstem auditory evoked potential abnormalities in severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Respirology 2001; 6:225–229.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Gupta PP, Sood S, Atreja A, Agarwal D. Evaluation of brain stem auditory evoked potentials in stable patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Ann Thorac Med 2008; 3:128–134.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Diseases. Global strategy for the diagnosis, management and prevention of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; 2015. Available at: http://www.goldcopd.com. [Last accessed 2017 Jan 10].

  17. Miller MR, Crapo R, Hankinson J, Brusasco V, Burgos F, Casaburi R, et al. ATS/ERS task force: standardisation of lung function testing. General considerations for lung function testing. Eur Respir J 2005; 26:153–161.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Frank T. ANSI update: maximum permissible ambient noise levels for audiometric test rooms. Am J Audiol 2000; 9:3–8.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. American Speech Language Hearing Association. Guidelines for manual pure-tone audiometry. Asha 1978; 20:297–301.

    Google Scholar 

  20. Kamenski G, Bendova J, Fink W, Sönnichsen A, Spiegel W, Zehetmayer S. Does COPD have a clinically relevant impact on hearing loss? A retrospective matched cohort study with selection of patients diagnosed with COPD. BMJ Open 2015; 5:e008247.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Cruickshanks KJ, Tweed TS, Wiley TL, Klein BE, Klein R, Chappell R, et al. The 5-year incidence and the progression of hearing loss: the epidemiology of the hearing loss study. Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2003; 129:1041–1046.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Itoh A, Nakashima T, Arao H, Wakai K, Tamakoshi A, Ohno Y. Smoking and drinking habits as the risk factors for hearing loss in the elderly: an epidemiological study on subjects who were undergoing routine health checks in Aichi, Japan. Public Health 2001; 115:192–196.

  23. Uchida Y, Nakashimat T, Ando F, Niino N, Shimokata H. Is there a relevant effect of noise and smoking on hearing? A population-based aging study. Int J Audiol 2005; 44:86–91.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Nakanishi N, Okamoto M, Nakamura K, Suzuki K, Tatara K. Cigarette smoking and the risk for hearing impairment: a longitudinal study in Japanese male office workers. J Occup Environ Med 2000; 42:1045–1049.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Drettner B, Hedstrand H, Klockhoff I, Svedberg A. The cardiovascular risk factors and hearing loss. A study on 1000 fifty-year-old men. Acta Otolaryngol 1975; 79:366–371.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Siegelaub AB, Friedman GD, Adour K, Seltzer CC. The hearing loss in adults: the correlation with age, sex, exposure to loud noise, and cigarette smoking. Arch Environ Health 1974; 29:107–109.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Melgarejo Moreno PJ, Latorre Lopez JF, Fuentes Botargues A, Melgarejo Moreno C. Prevalence of age-related hearing loss in a primary care clinic. Acta Otorrinolaringol Esp 1996; 47:213–215.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Cruickshanks KJ, Klein R, Klein BE, Wiley TL, Nondahl DM, Tweed TS. Cigarette smoking and hearing loss: the epidemiology of hearing loss study. JAMA 1998; 279:1715–1719.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Gates GA, Cobb JL, D’Agostino RB, Wolf PA. The correlation of the hearing in the elderly to the presence of cardiovascular diseases and cardiovascular risk factors. Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 1993; 119:156–161.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Brant LJ, Gordon-Salant S, Pearson JD, Klein LL, Morrell CH, Metter EJ, et al. The risk factors which were related to the age-associated hearing loss in speech frequencies. J Am Acad Audiol 1996; 7:152–160.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Lawrence M, Nuttall AL, Burgio PA. Cochlear potentials and oxygen with hypoxia. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol 1975; 84:499–512.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Gafni M, Sohmer H. Intermediate endocochlear potential levels induced by hypoxia. Acta Otolaryngol (Stockh) 1976; 82:354–358.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Sohmer H, Freeman S, Gafni M, Goitein K. The depression of the auditory nerve-brainstem evoked response in hypoxaemia. Mechanism and site of effect. Electroencephalogr Clin Neurophysiol 1986; 64:334–338.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Cunningham DR, Cunningham CA, Vise LK. The effects of chronic hypoxemia on central auditory processing in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Ear Hear 1985; 6:297–303.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Nomura K, Nakao M, Morimoto T. The effect of smoking on the hearing loss: the quality assessment and meta-analysis. Prev Med 2005; 40:138–144.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  36. Mizoue T, Miyamoto T, Shimizu T. The combined effect of smoking and the occupational exposure to noise on the hearing loss in steel factory workers. Occup Environ Med 2003; 60:56–59.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. Noorhassim I, Rampal KG. The multiplicative effect of smoking and age on the hearing impairment. Am J Otolaryngol 1998; 19:240–243.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departments of Chest Diseases, 4 Ibn Haggar Askalany Street, Cairo, Heliopolis, 11575, Egypt

    Aya M. Abdel Dayem, Iman H. Galal MD, PhD & Maha A. Hassan

  2. Departments of Audiology, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt

    Fathy Naeem

Authors
  1. Aya M. Abdel Dayem
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Iman H. Galal MD, PhD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Fathy Naeem
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Maha A. Hassan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Iman H. Galal MD, PhD.

Additional information

This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 License, which allows others to remix, tweak, and build upon the work noncommercially, as long as the author is credited and the new creations are licensed under the identical terms.

Rights and permissions

This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article's Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article's Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Abdel Dayem, A.M., Galal, I.H., Naeem, F. et al. Audiological assessment in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Egypt J Bronchol 11, 98–103 (2017). https://doi.org/10.4103/ejb.ejb_1_17

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.4103/ejb.ejb_1_17

Keywords