The Asymptomatic Hearing Loss In The Eldery With Type II Diabetes Mellitus

Background: Diabetes mellitus is a risk factor for hearing loss. Age, blood glucose levels, duration, blood pressure, and blood lipid levels can influence hearing loss, which can later cause changes in the inner ear's structure. Early-stage hearing loss usually occurs at high frequencies that do not cause symptoms but can still be detected by audiometer examination. Objective: To present cases of asymptomatic hearing loss detected during hearing screening with the "Hearing Test" application. Case: A 58-year-old woman came to the primary clinic with the main symptoms of itching, sores, and swelling on the heel of the right foot. There were no symptoms of hearing loss, but on examination of the hearing test, there was a decrease in the hearing threshold at the frequencies of 6 and 8 Khz right and left ears. He was diagnosed with pyoderma, asymptomatic hearing loss, suspected high-frequency hearing loss, and type 2 diabetes mellitus for 11 years. There was a family history of the same disease, and she did not regularly take antidiabetic medication. To cure the pyoderma, we gave Betason N ointment three times a day and cetirizine 10 mg tablet two times a day. Type 2 DM was treated with metformin 500 mg tablet twice daily and glibenclamide 5 mg tablet once daily, regulating diet and physical activity. We observe blood glucose levels, fat, blood pressure, weight, and waist circumference. It is necessary to confirm the diagnosis of hearing loss with a pure tone audiometer examination. Conclusion: In every diabetes mellitus, it is necessary to identify early signs of hearing loss by conducting a hearing screening. Hearing screening recommended by The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association is performed every three years for those over 50. Meanwhile, hearing screening should be carried out more often in people with risk factors related to hearing loss.