Prevalencia de hipoacusia neurosensorial y factores asociados en adultos mayores atendidos en el centro Fonoaudiológico Oídos, Cuenca, 2024

Abstract

Sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) is a common auditory disorder in older adults and is associated with aging, as well as clinical and environmental factors such as noise exposure, use of ototoxic drugs, family history, and chronic comorbidities, particularly arterial hypertension and diabetes mellitus. This condition affects communication, social interaction, and quality of life. The objective of this study was to identify the prevalence of sensorineural hearing loss and associated factors in older adults treated at the Centro Fonoaudiológico Oídos, Cuenca, during 2024. A descriptive, cross-sectional, observational, and retrospective study was conducted through the review of medical records and audiometric data. Information was systematized using a structured form and analyzed with SPSS version 22. Measures of central tendency and dispersion were used for age, while absolute and relative frequencies were applied to sociodemographic, clinical, and risk variables, a total of 132 records were analyzed, with a mean age of 75.9 ± 7.7 years: the predominated (59.1%). Sensorineural hearing loss was the most frequent type (70.5%), followed by mixed hearing loss (18.9%) and conductive hearing loss (10.6%). Moderate degrees of hearing loss predominated (54.5%), as well as bilateral involvement (80.3%). The main risk factors were diabetes mellitus (55.9%), arterial hypertension (35.5%), and noise exposure (31.2%), whereas the use of ototoxic agents (10.8%) and hereditary hearing loss (6.5%) were less frequent. It is concluded that moderate, bilateral sensorineural hearing loss is the most prevalent condition among older adults.