Hearing Loss in Post Traumatic Injuries

Abstract

Background: Traumatic ear and head injuries can damage the tympanic membrane, middle ear, cochlea, auditory nerve, or central auditory pathways, producing conductive, sensorineural, or mixed hearing loss. Objective: To determine the frequency, degree, and type of hearing loss among patients with post-traumatic ear and head injuries and describe associated otoscopic and tympanometric findings. Methods: This hospital-based cross-sectional study included 93 patients aged 5–45 years recruited through purposive sampling at Services Hospital Lahore and Jinnah Hospital Lahore from February to July 2025. Participants underwent otoscopy, tympanometry, and pure-tone audiometry. Categorical findings were summarized as frequencies and percentages. Results: Males constituted 60.2% of participants, and 78.5% were aged 16–45 years. Central tympanic membrane perforation was observed in 53.8%, while 74.2% demonstrated Type B tympanograms. Moderate hearing loss was the most frequent severity category (37.6%), followed by severe (31.2%) and mild hearing loss (26.9%). Conductive hearing loss was predominant (43.0%), followed by mixed (26.9%) and sensorineural hearing loss (25.8%). Overall, 95.7% had hearing impairment, and 69.9% had conductive or mixed loss. Conclusion: Post-traumatic auditory dysfunction was characterized predominantly by tympanic membrane and middle-ear abnormalities, although sensorineural involvement was also common. Comprehensive audiological assessment should form part of the evaluation of traumatic ear and head injuries