Hearing Loss And Related Etiologies In Patients Attended At A Public Otorhinolaryngology Outpatient Clinic Of Belo Horizonte

Abstract

Introduction: Hearing loss consists of the reduction of hearing to any degree that interferes with the intelligibility of the spoken message. It is a condition that affects more than 8 million Brazilians and has a multifactorial pathogenesis. Among its subclassifications, presbycusis stands out, a condition of reduced hearing acuity related to aging. Objective: To evaluate the main etiologies of complaints related to hearing loss in patients treated at an outpatient clinic in Belo Horizonte, the clinical-epidemiological profile and the interventions adopted for these patients. Methods: Cross-sectional study with retrospective analysis of medical records of outpatients treated in 2022. After applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, the variables age, sex, risk indicators, audiometry, ICD10 and adopted conduct were analyzed in each medical record. Results: It was found that the average age of the sample was 59.1 years, with 58% being female. The main complaints presented were hearing loss (75%) and tinnitus (63%). The most prevalent final diagnosis was represented by ICD10 H90 - Hearing disorders due to conduction, sensorineural or mixed disorders (23%) and by ICD10 H91.1 - presbycusis (21%). The main action taken was the adoption of a hearing aid (58%) and the presence of chronic diseases was the main risk indicator presented. There was a significant association between age over 64 years and use of hearing aids. Conclusion: Presbycusis proved to be an important etiology of complaints of hearing loss in this outpatient clinic and the adoption of a hearing aid was the preponderant conduct. Assertive diagnostic and rehabilitation measures are essential to manage the impacts of this condition.