Impact of Septoplasty on hearing and middle ear function

Abstract

Background: Deviated nasal septum affects hearing and middle ear ventilation by altering eustachain tube function. It leads to ear fullness, affects middle ear ventilation and impacts hearing. Septoplasty is commonly done for deviated septum. So, this study aims to find out if Septoplasty can lead to improvement of hearing and middle ear function and reduce patients ear complaints.Methods: Patients with Deviated nasal septum requiring septoplasty surgery were assessed for ear symptoms, hearing and middle ear pressure by detailed history taking, pure tone audiometry and tympanometry. They then underwent septoplasty and were again assessed post operatively after 2days, 4weeks, 8weeks and 12weeks of surgery. The pre-and post-operative results were compared and analysed.Results: The most common symptom in patients at pre-operative visit was ear fullness and hearing loss was of conductive type. Post operatively there was worsening of symptoms, hearing and middle ear functions after 2days but marked improvement was seen in symptom of ear fullness, conductive hearing and normalisation of middle ear pressure at 8-12weeks after surgery.Conclusions: Septoplasty improves hearing and middle ear function in patients with deviated nasal septum and the improvement is seen 8 to 12weeks after surgery.

Eustachian Tube Function Assessment after Radiofrequency Turbinate Reduction in Atopic and Non-Atopic Patients

“…The relationship between the middle ear ventilation, ET, and nasal cavities has been the subject of numerous studies [2,3,5,9,11,15,25,[32][33][34][35]; Low and Willatt in 1993 evaluating the relationship between middle ear pressure and a deviated nasal septum observed an improvement of TTP in both ears after septal surgery [32]; the authors postulated that postnasal airflow turbulence associated with a deviated nasal septum could lead to ETD. It could be explained because several patients, either atopic or non-atopic, usually complain to suffer from middle ear ventilation problems concomitant with nasal obstructive pathologies [1,2,6,14,28,[32][33][34]. Certainly, all authors agreed that ETD is thought to be an important cause of middle ear disturbances [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8]25,32,35].…”

Secondary Otalgia: Referred Pain Pathways and Pathologies

“…39 The nerve of the pterygoid canal (Vidian nerve) and greater superficial petrosal nerve provide parasympathetic innervation to the nasal mucosa, sphenoid and ethmoid sinuses, portions of the palate, and lacrimal glands, which can also be a source referred otalgia in the setting of mucosal inflammation, sinusitis (Fig 11), large nasal septal bone spurs, or dacryoadenitis. 8,40 Cranial Nerve IX…”

The Effect of Septoplasty on Middle Ear Pressure Among Patients With Deviated Nasal Septum

“…Some of the articles in the literature dealt with the effect of deviated nasal septum on middle ear pressure. In that context, [Nanda et al,2017], [Duran et al, 2014], [Akyildiz et al, 2017] and had shown that among the common causes of nasal obstruction is a nasal septum deviation which has proved to have negative effects on the middle ear pressure as well as ventilation.…”

“…According to [Nanda et al,2017] who conducted on patients with DNS and requiring septoplasty involving 40 adult patients in an aim to find out whether septoplasty leads to improvements in hearing, middle ear pressure and ear symptoms. It was noted that among the common causes of nasal obstruction is a nasal septum deviation which has proved to have negative effects on the middle ear pressure as well as ventilation.…”