[Sudden deafness and stress. A retrospective analysis].
A questionnaire was sent to 132 patients suffering from sudden deafness selected out of 445 patients treated during 1985-1987 by well defined criteria. This questionnaire asked for conditions of health, noise and individual attributions to sudden deafness on one hand. On the other hand, the second part was related to so-called "life-events" as parameters for psycho-social stress, 44% of the patients worked as civil servants or as employees. 52% of the collective acquired the same hearing level they had before the sudden hearing loss. Nevertheless, 83% still complained about ear related and psychosomatic symptoms. The subjective attribution of sudden hearing loss was more somatic in 25% and more psychic in 31% of the cases. 90% of the group expressed so-called "life-events" immediately before or during sudden hearing loss. These life-events have been felt "sensible" in two third of the patients and attributed mostly to the field of their work. The results seem to demonstrate that in patients suffering from sudden hearing loss there is a risen susceptibility to life-events which is specific for the individual. Since the mechanics of coping have central defects, these life-events become a "stressor". This means, that the sudden hearing loss has to be interpreted as a case of emergency of the individual organism burden with non expressed affects.
Bernal Sprekelsen
M
M
Clínica Universitaria de ORL, Facultad de Medicina, Mainz.
Hormann
K
K
Lamparter
U
U
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D034381:Hearing Loss / Q000209:etiology*; D006315:Hearing Loss, Functional / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies
La hipoacusia brusca y el estrés. Un análisis retrospectivo.