relation between glaucoma and sensorineural hearing loss

introduction: glaucoma is one of the leading causes of blindness throughout the world. some studies have suggested a relationship between glaucoma and sensorineural hearing loss, while others have found no evidence of an association. we performed a study to determine whether there is a significant difference in hearing of patients with glaucoma and a match control population. methods: in this cross-sectional study, from february, 2005 till april, 2006, 44 patients with glaucoma were studied. the age range was between 15 to 60 years. after taking a complete medical history, those suffering from presbycusis, history of exposure to ototoxic drugs and substances and history of ear surgery were excluded from the study. all of the patients were cases of open-angle glaucoma, and were surveyed separately for normal-pressure glaucoma. then complete audiometric tests (pta, sds, srt, impedance) were conducted for all of them, and the results compared with a control group. results: there was no statistically significant difference between the case group and control group in pta, sds, and srt, except for normal tension glaucoma (ntg). there wasn't any statistically significant difference between two groups with respect to age, gender, and history of diseases. in the ntg group, significant difference was seen only in high frequencies. conclusion: as mentioned, there was a statistically significant difference between ntg group and control group. it is therefore recommended to conduct complete audiometric tests and histopathologic examinations in this group for early detection of hearing loss and application of rehabilitative measures.