Comparison of pure tone audiometry and tympanometry findings before and after treatment in patients with iron deficiency anemia

Purpose: Iron is a vital element - transport and storage of oxygen to tissues, synthesis of protein, DNA and RNA, electron transport to mitochondria and many other metabolic events - in body metabolism. Tissue hypoxia due to anemia by the deficiency of this element causes cellular level effects and pathological effects in many parts of the body. Our aim in this thesis study is to investigate the effect of iron deficiency anemia treatment on the auditory system. Materials and Methods: This study has been made with patients, 107 iron deficiency anemia, between June 2021-September 2021 in the Internal Medicine and Hematology outpatient clinic of Düzce University Faculty of Medicine. The symptoms, blood parameters and audiological examinations of these patients before and after the treatment were compared. Results: Of the patients included in the study, 100 (93,5%) were female and 7 (6,5%) were male. When the frequency of symptoms before and after the treatment were compared, it was seen that tinnitus, hearing loss, and dizziness complaints decreased after the treatment and were statistically significant (respectively; p<0,001, p=0,004, p<0,001). When the audiometry values were compared, statistically significant improvement was found in the right ear airway (250, 500, 1000, 4000, 8000 Hz) and bone conduction (500, 1000 Hz) threshold, left ear airway (125, 250, 500, 1000, 2000, 8000 Hz) and bone conduction (500, 1000, 2000 Hz) threshold. The tympanometric gradient value in both ears of the patients increased after treatment (p<0,05). Conclusion: An improvement in hearing frequencies was observed with iron treatment in patients with iron deficiency anemia. Key words: iron deficiency anemia, pure tone audiometry, tympanometry