Evaluation of Hearing Deficit in Oral Submucous Fibrosis Patients: An Audiometric Analysis

Background: Oral submucous fibrosis [OSMF] is a chronic, insidious and progressive disease, affecting any part of the oral cavity and sometimes the pharynx. The pathological changes in OSMF not only involve the mucosa & submucosa but also extend deeper to involve the underlying muscles leading to severe restriction in mouth opening. The function of the Eustachian tube during hearing is significantly influenced by the palatal, tubal, and Paratubal muscles. When the fibrosis spreads to the nasopharynx, it blocks the Eustachian tube entrance there, which results in hearing loss. Aim: This study evaluates the possible effects of Eustachian tube function and hearing deficit in different stages of OSMF. Methods: The study group comprised 30 OSMF patients of different stages who did not have any ear disease or anomalies. These OSMF patients were subjected to audiometric evaluation.  30 normal controls (60 ears) who were not having OSMF and any ear disease or anomalies were also subjected to audiometric evaluation for comparison. The results were statistically analyzed. Result: According to our study, the OSMF group had a significant level of hearing loss than the control group. Conclusion: We would want to conclude that a hearing deficiency assessment should be performed on all OSMF patients.