Auditory function and brainstem responses in allergic rhinitis: systematic review and meta-analysis.
Thales Rafael Correia de Melo Lima, Brenda Carla Lima Araújo, Silvia de Magalhães Simões and 1 others
PMID 41092191WHAT IT FOUND
People with allergic rhinitis showed slightly higher hearing thresholds at high frequencies (4000Hz and 8000Hz) compared to controls.
However, brainstem hearing responses were not significantly different. The evidence quality was rated very low, so these findings should not change routine clinical practice.
Key findings
01Individuals with allergic rhinitis had significantly higher auditory thresholds overall compared to controls, with a pooled mean difference of 4.85 dB.
02The overall effect was primarily driven by significant differences at 4000Hz and 8000Hz, while no significant differences were found at lower frequencies.
03The meta-analysis did not reveal a significant difference between groups in brainstem auditory evoked potentials (BERA).
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The quality of evidence was rated as very low due to serious risk of bias, very serious inconsistency (high heterogeneity), and serious imprecision. Only five studies were included, and the results were heavily influenced by studies from India, with no significant findings in studies from Turkey. Most included studies did not use adjustment techniques to control for confounding factors. There were inconsistencies in the diagnostic criteria for allergic rhinitis and the methods used to assess hearing across the included studies. Publication bias could not be assessed due to the limited number of studies.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The study was not funded by any specific agency.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the significant high-frequency hearing threshold differences as evidence that allergic rhinitis causes hearing loss. The evidence quality is very low, the findings are inconsistent across regions, and the study design cannot establish causality.
Summarised by AI from the full paper, without a clinician reviewing it. Check it against the source before it changes what you do. Read it on PubMed →