Side Difference in Pure Tone and Speech Audiometry

Introduction The average person hears better with the right ear than with the left ear, characteristic designated as ear effect. We analyzed retrospectively pure tone and speech audiograms to measure the ear effect and its variation according to age and tested frequency.

Methods The pure tone (frequencies 125, 250, 500, 750, 1000, 1500, 2000, 3000, 4000, 6000, 8000 Hz) and speech audiograms (Freiburger one syllable test) of 7245 patients were studied (01.01.2000 until 07.07.2018 in the department of Otolaryngology of the University Hospital of Erlangen). All patients with a conduction hearing loss were excluded of the study and those with normal hearing and a sensorineural hearing loss included. The results of the right and left side were compared: the PTA4 (mean value 0,5, 1, 2 and 4 kHz) and all frequencies individually; the one syllable Freiburg test at 65 dB (EV65). The impact of age on the ear effect was analyzed by dividing the population according to the age median and into five groups (18-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69 and ≥70 years).

Results The population showed on average an ear effect of: 1.77  %  for the EV65, 1.36 dB for the PTA4, 1.24 to 2.70 dB at the frequencies 1500 to 8000 dB (p < 0.001). There was no statistically significant ear effect between 125 to 1000 Hz. We observed a statistically significant change of the ear effect according to the test frequency but not to age.

Conclusions Our data shows on average a statistically significant ear effect in the pure tone and speech audiometry, which changes according to the test frequency, but is independent of the patient’s age. We encourage the study of the ear effect with hearing aid devices/implants (other studies showed a better function of cochlear implants on the right side).

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Arbeit vollständig in der HNO-Klinik Erlangen druchgeführt, keine weitere Unterstützung.

Publication History

Article published online:
13 May 2021