Retrospective analysis of quality of life in patients with idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss

Abstract

Aim: Idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSNHL) is the unfortunate experience of rapid hearing loss\rand may affect patients’ quality of life at different levels. The study’s purpose is to measure how individuals\rwere affected socially, psychologically, and mentally after they experienced ISSNHL.\rMethods: This study was designed as a cross-sectional study with archive research and included patients who\rwere diagnosed with ISSNHL between 2015 and 2020. Patients were asked to answer the Short Form 36 (SF-\r36) questionnaire form via tele-conversation. According to pure tone audiometry tests performed after treatment,\rpatients were divided into two groups: “completely recovered” (<20 dB) and “partially recovered” (thresholds\rremained >20 dB). Mean scores of SF-36 quality of life subcategories were analyzed for each group\rResults: The patients included 48 (58.5%) males and 34 (41.5%) females. As a result of the analyses, there were\rsignificant differences in physical functioning (p=0.046), vitality (p=0.049), and general health scores (p=0.038)\rbetween the two groups after the ISSNHL treatment. Although the mean scores of patients who were completely\rrecovered were higher, no significant difference was found in the physical-role (p=0.125), emotional-role\r(p>0.05), mental health (p>0.05), bodily pain (p=0.48), and social role (p=0.713) subcategory scores between\rthe two groups.\rConclusions: Our results showed that successful treatment and recovery prevented all kinds of the disease's\rpotential physical and mental complications. Morbidity effects were felt by patients with somewhat more serious\rproblems and could not make a full recovery.