Background: Changing demographics trends in our country will have a profound influence on the fut... more Background: Changing demographics trends in our country will have a profound influence on the future practice of otolaryngology. The geriatrics population has already become the fastest-growing segment of our society and it will continue to be so for decades to come and very soon a larger percentage of patients treated by Otolaryngologist will be in the over 65 age groups. The aim of this study is to present our observations on geriatrics ORL as seen in Ibadan, Nigeria. Methodology: A retrospective study analysis of 170 geriatrics patients that presented in the Ear, Nose and Throat Department of the University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria between 2000 and 2004 was done. The diagnosis in each subject was based on history, clinical findings, and investigations done on each subject at the time of presentation. Results: 170 geriatrics patients were seen and treated over the 5-year studied period with 94 males (55.3%), 76 females (44.7%) (M:F 1.2:1) and with an average age of 70.9 years (age range 65-97 years). The geriatrics patients constituted 3.64% of the total new cases (4,675) seen during the studied period. Majority of the patients lived in the towns and cities 109 (64.1%) while 61 (35.9%) lived in the villages. 158 (92.9%) were married with 69 (40.6%) engaged in trading as an occupation while 54 (31.8%) and 23 (13.5%) were pensioners and housewife respectively. Only 16 (9.4%) still engaged in farming activities. The main presentations in these geriatrics patients were otological presentations 114 (67.1%) followed by rhinological 31(18.2%) and laryngeal presentations 22 (12.9%) respectively. Facio-plastic presentations were of 3 (1.8%) cases. Presbycusis 35 (30.7%) and cerumen auris 30 (26.3%) were the main otological problems encountered. Rhino-sinusitis 20 (58.8%) constituted the main rhinological problems seen. Laryngeal carcinoma 10 (41.7%) and pharyngo-laryngitis 6 (25%) constituted the main laryngeal problems found in this study. Majority of the patients were treated as outpatients 160 (94.1%), only 10 (5.9%) required admission for their treatments with an average hospital stays of 3-weeks. Conclusion: In conclusion, presbycusis, cerumen auris, rhino-sinusitis, and laryngeal carcinoma were the main otorhinolaryngological presentations seen among the geriatrics studied. With the explosive growth of the elderly population, this group will become a larger percentage of patients in the future and Otolaryngologist would need to be prepared to take care of these categories of patients adequately. Current and newly developed information relating to geriatrics in otolaryngology must be incorporated into present training of Otolaryngologist. Continuing education programs in geriatrics otolaryngology should be provided for all physicians in family practice to ensure early referral of such cases to ORL specialists. Key words: geriatrics, otolaryngology, presbycusis, sinusitis, laryngeal carcinoma. Nigerian Journal of Otorhinolaryngology Vol.2(1) 2005: 7-12
Objectives: To document the clinical spectrum of hoarseness in children in two Nigerian tertiary ... more Objectives: To document the clinical spectrum of hoarseness in children in two Nigerian tertiary health institutions with functional ORL services. Methodology: This is a retrospective review of fifty-six children (age 0 — l5yrs) with hoarseness as their main symptom seen in the ORL departments of the University College Hospital Ibadan and University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu between 1998-2003. Results: A total of 56 patients studied consisted of 33 males (58.93%) and 23 females (41.07%) with an overall mean age of 6.75 yrs (SD 4.49yrs) and age range 3 weeks to l5yrs. Mean duration of hoarseness before presentation was 8.33 months (SD 16.82 months) with a range of 1 day to 6yrs; 35 patients (62.5%) presented within 3 months of onset of their symptoms. The main causes of hoarseness in this study were recurrent respiratory papillomatosis 29(51.8%), Acute infections 9(16.1%) and Foreign bodies 8(14.3%). The two cases of diphtheria were the only fatalities recorded. Conclusion: The causes of hoarseness in the child are varied and late presentation may worsen the prognosis. Recurrent respiratory papillomatosis, acute laryngeal infections and foreign bodies are leading causes in our environment. Persistent hoarseness of more than three weeks should have detailed Otolaryngological evaluation. Key Words: Hoarseness, Recurrent respiratory papillomnatosis, laryngoscopy, tracheostomy Nig. J. Otorhinolaryngology Vol.1(1) 2004: 6-10
Background: HIV infection, a multi systemic disease has been identified as one of the causes of h... more Background: HIV infection, a multi systemic disease has been identified as one of the causes of hearing loss in man. Objectives: To compare the effect of HIV infection on the middle ear dynamics of HIV infected and non-HIV infected individuals using tympanometry. Design: A prospective cross sectional study. Setting: HIV Clinic at University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) in 2010. Subjects: Tympanometry was done on adults (18-45 year old) patients with confirmed retroviral disease (RVD) infection and confirmed non-HIV infected adults (18-45 year old) as the control group. All the patients certified the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Main outcome measures: More women were found with HIV infection than men at a ratio of 1:3.7(men = 21% and females = 79%). There was preponderance of type "B" tympanogram among HIV-infected individuals. Result: There was a significant correlation between CD4 cell count and type "B" tympanogram (P = 0.03). The CD4 cell count measured severity of HIV infection while the type "B" tympanogram detected middle ear effusion. Conclusions: Middle ear effusion is the genesis of middle ear pathology in HIV infected population.
Background:Otitis media with effusion (OME) is a middle ear condition characterized by the accumu... more Background:Otitis media with effusion (OME) is a middle ear condition characterized by the accumulation of serous fluid. It is common, though not exclusive; among children with its attendant developmental consequence if missed or untreated in early life. OME could be managed surgically, pharmacologically, or physiologically. EarPopper is a medical device developed for physiologic management of OME, Eustachian tube dysfunction, and related problems. We aim to ascertain the suitability/efficiency of EarPopper® device for the treatment of OME in our setting.Methodology:This is a prospective interventional study of volunteers diagnosed with OME from four (4) medical centers in Abuja. Pneumatic otoscopy, video-otoscopy, tympanometry, and pure-tone audiometry were done to confirm the diagnosis. Serial EarPopper sessions were performed twice weekly for 2–12 weeks, and outcome was assessed using patients’ reports. The reports include the EarPopper scoring system (ESS) and audiometric parameters (before and after therapy).Results:Forty-five patients (17 males and 28 females) aged between 3–56 years were enrolled. Thirty-five were diagnosed with bilateral OME and 10 unilateral. All patients had Type-B tympanometry tracing with mild-to-moderate conductive hearing losses and ESS of between 2.45% and 84%. Out of the 45 participants, 32 (71.1%) completed the treatment, whereas 13 (28.9%) were lost to follow-up. Duration of EarPopper treatment ranged from 2 to 12 weeks. The outcome revealed improvement in 26/32 (81.3%) with significant reduction in ESS (1% to 9.8%). Six patients 6/32 (18.9%) had persistence symptoms. These 18.9% had the propensity to progress to chronic OME.Conclusion:This study highly suggests good prospect in using EarPopper for the management of OME among Africans.
Objective: The aim was to assess the psychosocial effects on the quality of life (QOL) of adults ... more Objective: The aim was to assess the psychosocial effects on the quality of life (QOL) of adults with head and neck cancer (HNC) and any gender variations with predictive factors that may influence QOL. Patients and methods: This was a three-month descriptive and prospective evaluation of QOL in 50 adult patients with HNC who were still on treatment but had spent a period of at least four weeks from commencement in a tertiary hospital. Main outcome results: There were 32 males and 18 females with a mean age of 47.74 years. Females had higher mean scores than males in all domains except pain domain, global and general questions. There was no significant difference in the mean score between the genders in all the domains: overall bother, overall satisfaction, response to treatment, site with QOL and health-related QOL (HRQOL). Pain domain correlated significantly with eating and emotion but weakly with stage of the disease. The predictive factor for overall bother was mainly emotion domain, while site of lesion with QOL was for overall satisfaction, response to treatment and HRQOL. Conclusions: Pain, which is a major problem experienced by these patients with HNC, requires more attention by the caregiver in order to improve their QOL.
Purpose: Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a genetically inherited red blood cell disorder that affect... more Purpose: Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a genetically inherited red blood cell disorder that affects people all over the world but is more common among blacks of African ancestry than other races. The condition is linked to sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL). This scoping review aims to evaluate studies that reported SNHL in SCD patients and to identify demographic and contextual risk factors for SNHL in SCD patients. Methods: We conducted scoping searches for relevant studies in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. All articles were evaluated independently by two authors. The checklist Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) was used. SNHL was detected at hearing levels above 20 decibels. Results: In terms of methodology, the studies reviewed were diverse, with 15 being prospective and four being retrospective. Fourteen of the 19 articles chosen from 18,937 search engine results were case-control studies. Sex, age, foetal haemoglobin (HbF), SCD type, painful vaso-occlusive crisis (PVO), blood parameters, flow-mediated vasodilation (FMV), and hydroxyurea use were all extracted. Few studies investigated SNHL risk factors with noticeable knowledge gaps. Age, PVO, and certain blood parameters appear to predispose to SNHL, whereas decreased FMV, the presence of HbF, and the use of hydroxyurea appear to have an inverse relationship with the development of SNHL in SCD. Conclusion: There is a clear gap in the existing literature regarding the knowledge of demographic and contextual risk factors that is required for the prevention and management of SNHL in SCD.
The consumables and materials including the hospital space required for supportive therapies are ... more The consumables and materials including the hospital space required for supportive therapies are in short supply with respect to COVID-19 management. To this end, an alternative supportive measure is needed for the patients to hang on, until optimal condition is made available. It is in this vein, that we describe a hand-held-respirator improvised for oxygen supplementation in a 51-yearold COVID-19 positive patient diagnosed of moderately severe disease. Keywords: SARS COV2, EarPopper®, Corona virus disease, Respirato
Objective: Adenoid Hypertrophy is a common childhood condition that presents with mouth breathing... more Objective: Adenoid Hypertrophy is a common childhood condition that presents with mouth breathing, nasal discharge, snoring and sleep apnea. Lateral Nasopharyngeal X-ray aids diagnosis and assessment of patency of the Nasopharyngeal air column through Adenoid Nasopharyngeal Ratio (ANR). This study aims to correlate ANR with symptoms and signs of Adenoid Hypertrophy. Material and Methods: A retrospective study conducted in the Ear, Nose and Throat/Head and Neck Surgery (ENT/HNS) Department of University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada from January 2019 to December 2021. The case notes and Lateral Nasopharyngeal X-rays of 66 Children aged between 2months to 11 years, with suspected Adenoid Hypertrophy were retrieved and relevant retrieved data analyzed. Results: A total of 66 patients were enrolled into this study with 50 (75.76%) males and 16 (24.24%) females. The age range was between 2 months to 11 years, with a mean of 3.65±2.76 years. ANR ranged from 0.03 to 0.94 with mean...
Noise remains a nuisance which impacts negatively on the physical, social and psychological wellb... more Noise remains a nuisance which impacts negatively on the physical, social and psychological wellbeing of man. It aggravates chronic illnesses like hypertension and other cardiopulmonary diseases. Unfortunately, increased activities from industrialization and technological transfers/drifts have tumultuously led to increased noise pollution in most of our fast growing cities today and hence the need for concerted efforts in monitoring and regulating our environmental noise. To assess the equivalent noise level (Leq) in Abuja municipality and promote a simple method for regular assessment of Leq within our environment. This is a cross-sectional community based study of the environmental Leq of Abuja municipality conducted between January 2014 and January 2016. The city was divided into 12 segments including residential, business and market areas via the Abuja Geographic Information System. The major markets were captured separately on a different scale. Measurements were taken with the...
Background Presbyacusis is a cause of hearing loss in adults worldwide. It is a type of auditory ... more Background Presbyacusis is a cause of hearing loss in adults worldwide. It is a type of auditory dysfunction thought to be due to a series of insults over time including agerelated degeneration, noise exposure, and diseases of the ear. It usually affects the high frequencies of hearing. Presbyacusis has a tremendous impact on the quality of life of millions of the aged and is fast becoming an increasingly prevalent disorder as the population ages. Nigerian population is becoming progressively older making it imperative to focus on this area of research. It is worth noting that the Nigerian public health system does not have an effective and sustainable hearing loss screening strategy for lateonset hearing loss in adults. Aim/Objective This study evaluated the hearing threshold and pure tone audiometric pattern/s seen in participants with agerelated hearing loss (ARHL) in Gwagwalada Area Council of the Federal capital territoryAbuja. Subjects and Methods The study was a prospective communitybased crosssectional study, and a multistage sampling technique was adopted for this study, conducted at Gwagwalada, Abuja. Individuals from 55 years and above were recruited into the study after signing an informed consent. After a thorough and detailed clinical assessment, tympanometry and diagnostic puretone audiometry were carried out in all the participants. Result One hundred and fourteen participants were recruited into the study, out of which fourteen were excluded from the analysis on account of various exclusion criteria. The age range of the participants was 55 to 79 years, with a mean age of 65.8 ± 5.6 years.Twentyfive (25.0%) participants had normal hearing threshold, while seventyfive (75.0%) participants had sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL). Conclusion The study showed that the prevalence of ARHL from age 55 years and above at Gwagwalada Area Council, of FCT, Abuja was 75.0%.
Background: Changing demographics trends in our country will have a profound influence on the fut... more Background: Changing demographics trends in our country will have a profound influence on the future practice of otolaryngology. The geriatrics population has already become the fastest-growing segment of our society and it will continue to be so for decades to come and very soon a larger percentage of patients treated by Otolaryngologist will be in the over 65 age groups. The aim of this study is to present our observations on geriatrics ORL as seen in Ibadan, Nigeria. Methodology: A retrospective study analysis of 170 geriatrics patients that presented in the Ear, Nose and Throat Department of the University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria between 2000 and 2004 was done. The diagnosis in each subject was based on history, clinical findings, and investigations done on each subject at the time of presentation. Results: 170 geriatrics patients were seen and treated over the 5-year studied period with 94 males (55.3%), 76 females (44.7%) (M:F 1.2:1) and with an average age of 70.9 years (age range 65-97 years). The geriatrics patients constituted 3.64% of the total new cases (4,675) seen during the studied period. Majority of the patients lived in the towns and cities 109 (64.1%) while 61 (35.9%) lived in the villages. 158 (92.9%) were married with 69 (40.6%) engaged in trading as an occupation while 54 (31.8%) and 23 (13.5%) were pensioners and housewife respectively. Only 16 (9.4%) still engaged in farming activities. The main presentations in these geriatrics patients were otological presentations 114 (67.1%) followed by rhinological 31(18.2%) and laryngeal presentations 22 (12.9%) respectively. Facio-plastic presentations were of 3 (1.8%) cases. Presbycusis 35 (30.7%) and cerumen auris 30 (26.3%) were the main otological problems encountered. Rhino-sinusitis 20 (58.8%) constituted the main rhinological problems seen. Laryngeal carcinoma 10 (41.7%) and pharyngo-laryngitis 6 (25%) constituted the main laryngeal problems found in this study. Majority of the patients were treated as outpatients 160 (94.1%), only 10 (5.9%) required admission for their treatments with an average hospital stays of 3-weeks. Conclusion: In conclusion, presbycusis, cerumen auris, rhino-sinusitis, and laryngeal carcinoma were the main otorhinolaryngological presentations seen among the geriatrics studied. With the explosive growth of the elderly population, this group will become a larger percentage of patients in the future and Otolaryngologist would need to be prepared to take care of these categories of patients adequately. Current and newly developed information relating to geriatrics in otolaryngology must be incorporated into present training of Otolaryngologist. Continuing education programs in geriatrics otolaryngology should be provided for all physicians in family practice to ensure early referral of such cases to ORL specialists. Key words: geriatrics, otolaryngology, presbycusis, sinusitis, laryngeal carcinoma. Nigerian Journal of Otorhinolaryngology Vol.2(1) 2005: 7-12
Objectives: To document the clinical spectrum of hoarseness in children in two Nigerian tertiary ... more Objectives: To document the clinical spectrum of hoarseness in children in two Nigerian tertiary health institutions with functional ORL services. Methodology: This is a retrospective review of fifty-six children (age 0 — l5yrs) with hoarseness as their main symptom seen in the ORL departments of the University College Hospital Ibadan and University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu between 1998-2003. Results: A total of 56 patients studied consisted of 33 males (58.93%) and 23 females (41.07%) with an overall mean age of 6.75 yrs (SD 4.49yrs) and age range 3 weeks to l5yrs. Mean duration of hoarseness before presentation was 8.33 months (SD 16.82 months) with a range of 1 day to 6yrs; 35 patients (62.5%) presented within 3 months of onset of their symptoms. The main causes of hoarseness in this study were recurrent respiratory papillomatosis 29(51.8%), Acute infections 9(16.1%) and Foreign bodies 8(14.3%). The two cases of diphtheria were the only fatalities recorded. Conclusion: The causes of hoarseness in the child are varied and late presentation may worsen the prognosis. Recurrent respiratory papillomatosis, acute laryngeal infections and foreign bodies are leading causes in our environment. Persistent hoarseness of more than three weeks should have detailed Otolaryngological evaluation. Key Words: Hoarseness, Recurrent respiratory papillomnatosis, laryngoscopy, tracheostomy Nig. J. Otorhinolaryngology Vol.1(1) 2004: 6-10
Background: HIV infection, a multi systemic disease has been identified as one of the causes of h... more Background: HIV infection, a multi systemic disease has been identified as one of the causes of hearing loss in man. Objectives: To compare the effect of HIV infection on the middle ear dynamics of HIV infected and non-HIV infected individuals using tympanometry. Design: A prospective cross sectional study. Setting: HIV Clinic at University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) in 2010. Subjects: Tympanometry was done on adults (18-45 year old) patients with confirmed retroviral disease (RVD) infection and confirmed non-HIV infected adults (18-45 year old) as the control group. All the patients certified the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Main outcome measures: More women were found with HIV infection than men at a ratio of 1:3.7(men = 21% and females = 79%). There was preponderance of type "B" tympanogram among HIV-infected individuals. Result: There was a significant correlation between CD4 cell count and type "B" tympanogram (P = 0.03). The CD4 cell count measured severity of HIV infection while the type "B" tympanogram detected middle ear effusion. Conclusions: Middle ear effusion is the genesis of middle ear pathology in HIV infected population.
Background:Otitis media with effusion (OME) is a middle ear condition characterized by the accumu... more Background:Otitis media with effusion (OME) is a middle ear condition characterized by the accumulation of serous fluid. It is common, though not exclusive; among children with its attendant developmental consequence if missed or untreated in early life. OME could be managed surgically, pharmacologically, or physiologically. EarPopper is a medical device developed for physiologic management of OME, Eustachian tube dysfunction, and related problems. We aim to ascertain the suitability/efficiency of EarPopper® device for the treatment of OME in our setting.Methodology:This is a prospective interventional study of volunteers diagnosed with OME from four (4) medical centers in Abuja. Pneumatic otoscopy, video-otoscopy, tympanometry, and pure-tone audiometry were done to confirm the diagnosis. Serial EarPopper sessions were performed twice weekly for 2–12 weeks, and outcome was assessed using patients’ reports. The reports include the EarPopper scoring system (ESS) and audiometric parameters (before and after therapy).Results:Forty-five patients (17 males and 28 females) aged between 3–56 years were enrolled. Thirty-five were diagnosed with bilateral OME and 10 unilateral. All patients had Type-B tympanometry tracing with mild-to-moderate conductive hearing losses and ESS of between 2.45% and 84%. Out of the 45 participants, 32 (71.1%) completed the treatment, whereas 13 (28.9%) were lost to follow-up. Duration of EarPopper treatment ranged from 2 to 12 weeks. The outcome revealed improvement in 26/32 (81.3%) with significant reduction in ESS (1% to 9.8%). Six patients 6/32 (18.9%) had persistence symptoms. These 18.9% had the propensity to progress to chronic OME.Conclusion:This study highly suggests good prospect in using EarPopper for the management of OME among Africans.
Objective: The aim was to assess the psychosocial effects on the quality of life (QOL) of adults ... more Objective: The aim was to assess the psychosocial effects on the quality of life (QOL) of adults with head and neck cancer (HNC) and any gender variations with predictive factors that may influence QOL. Patients and methods: This was a three-month descriptive and prospective evaluation of QOL in 50 adult patients with HNC who were still on treatment but had spent a period of at least four weeks from commencement in a tertiary hospital. Main outcome results: There were 32 males and 18 females with a mean age of 47.74 years. Females had higher mean scores than males in all domains except pain domain, global and general questions. There was no significant difference in the mean score between the genders in all the domains: overall bother, overall satisfaction, response to treatment, site with QOL and health-related QOL (HRQOL). Pain domain correlated significantly with eating and emotion but weakly with stage of the disease. The predictive factor for overall bother was mainly emotion domain, while site of lesion with QOL was for overall satisfaction, response to treatment and HRQOL. Conclusions: Pain, which is a major problem experienced by these patients with HNC, requires more attention by the caregiver in order to improve their QOL.
Purpose: Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a genetically inherited red blood cell disorder that affect... more Purpose: Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a genetically inherited red blood cell disorder that affects people all over the world but is more common among blacks of African ancestry than other races. The condition is linked to sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL). This scoping review aims to evaluate studies that reported SNHL in SCD patients and to identify demographic and contextual risk factors for SNHL in SCD patients. Methods: We conducted scoping searches for relevant studies in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. All articles were evaluated independently by two authors. The checklist Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) was used. SNHL was detected at hearing levels above 20 decibels. Results: In terms of methodology, the studies reviewed were diverse, with 15 being prospective and four being retrospective. Fourteen of the 19 articles chosen from 18,937 search engine results were case-control studies. Sex, age, foetal haemoglobin (HbF), SCD type, painful vaso-occlusive crisis (PVO), blood parameters, flow-mediated vasodilation (FMV), and hydroxyurea use were all extracted. Few studies investigated SNHL risk factors with noticeable knowledge gaps. Age, PVO, and certain blood parameters appear to predispose to SNHL, whereas decreased FMV, the presence of HbF, and the use of hydroxyurea appear to have an inverse relationship with the development of SNHL in SCD. Conclusion: There is a clear gap in the existing literature regarding the knowledge of demographic and contextual risk factors that is required for the prevention and management of SNHL in SCD.
The consumables and materials including the hospital space required for supportive therapies are ... more The consumables and materials including the hospital space required for supportive therapies are in short supply with respect to COVID-19 management. To this end, an alternative supportive measure is needed for the patients to hang on, until optimal condition is made available. It is in this vein, that we describe a hand-held-respirator improvised for oxygen supplementation in a 51-yearold COVID-19 positive patient diagnosed of moderately severe disease. Keywords: SARS COV2, EarPopper®, Corona virus disease, Respirato
Objective: Adenoid Hypertrophy is a common childhood condition that presents with mouth breathing... more Objective: Adenoid Hypertrophy is a common childhood condition that presents with mouth breathing, nasal discharge, snoring and sleep apnea. Lateral Nasopharyngeal X-ray aids diagnosis and assessment of patency of the Nasopharyngeal air column through Adenoid Nasopharyngeal Ratio (ANR). This study aims to correlate ANR with symptoms and signs of Adenoid Hypertrophy. Material and Methods: A retrospective study conducted in the Ear, Nose and Throat/Head and Neck Surgery (ENT/HNS) Department of University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada from January 2019 to December 2021. The case notes and Lateral Nasopharyngeal X-rays of 66 Children aged between 2months to 11 years, with suspected Adenoid Hypertrophy were retrieved and relevant retrieved data analyzed. Results: A total of 66 patients were enrolled into this study with 50 (75.76%) males and 16 (24.24%) females. The age range was between 2 months to 11 years, with a mean of 3.65±2.76 years. ANR ranged from 0.03 to 0.94 with mean...
Noise remains a nuisance which impacts negatively on the physical, social and psychological wellb... more Noise remains a nuisance which impacts negatively on the physical, social and psychological wellbeing of man. It aggravates chronic illnesses like hypertension and other cardiopulmonary diseases. Unfortunately, increased activities from industrialization and technological transfers/drifts have tumultuously led to increased noise pollution in most of our fast growing cities today and hence the need for concerted efforts in monitoring and regulating our environmental noise. To assess the equivalent noise level (Leq) in Abuja municipality and promote a simple method for regular assessment of Leq within our environment. This is a cross-sectional community based study of the environmental Leq of Abuja municipality conducted between January 2014 and January 2016. The city was divided into 12 segments including residential, business and market areas via the Abuja Geographic Information System. The major markets were captured separately on a different scale. Measurements were taken with the...
Background Presbyacusis is a cause of hearing loss in adults worldwide. It is a type of auditory ... more Background Presbyacusis is a cause of hearing loss in adults worldwide. It is a type of auditory dysfunction thought to be due to a series of insults over time including agerelated degeneration, noise exposure, and diseases of the ear. It usually affects the high frequencies of hearing. Presbyacusis has a tremendous impact on the quality of life of millions of the aged and is fast becoming an increasingly prevalent disorder as the population ages. Nigerian population is becoming progressively older making it imperative to focus on this area of research. It is worth noting that the Nigerian public health system does not have an effective and sustainable hearing loss screening strategy for lateonset hearing loss in adults. Aim/Objective This study evaluated the hearing threshold and pure tone audiometric pattern/s seen in participants with agerelated hearing loss (ARHL) in Gwagwalada Area Council of the Federal capital territoryAbuja. Subjects and Methods The study was a prospective communitybased crosssectional study, and a multistage sampling technique was adopted for this study, conducted at Gwagwalada, Abuja. Individuals from 55 years and above were recruited into the study after signing an informed consent. After a thorough and detailed clinical assessment, tympanometry and diagnostic puretone audiometry were carried out in all the participants. Result One hundred and fourteen participants were recruited into the study, out of which fourteen were excluded from the analysis on account of various exclusion criteria. The age range of the participants was 55 to 79 years, with a mean age of 65.8 ± 5.6 years.Twentyfive (25.0%) participants had normal hearing threshold, while seventyfive (75.0%) participants had sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL). Conclusion The study showed that the prevalence of ARHL from age 55 years and above at Gwagwalada Area Council, of FCT, Abuja was 75.0%.
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