Childhood otitis media is associated with dizziness in adulthood: the HUNT cohort study.
The objective of the study was to examine the association between otitis media in childhood and dizziness in adulthood. Longitudinal, population-based cohort study of 21,962 adults (aged 20-59 years, mean 40) who completed a health questionnaire in the Nord-Trøndelag Hearing Loss Study was conducted. At 7, 10 and 13 years of age, the same individuals underwent screening audiometry in a longitudinal school hearing investigation. Children found with hearing loss underwent an ear, nose and throat specialist examination. Adults diagnosed with childhood chronic suppurative otitis media (n = 102) and childhood hearing loss after recurrent acute otitis media (n = 590) were significantly more likely to have increased risk of reported dizziness when compared to adults with normal hearing as children at the school investigation and also a negative history of recurrent otitis media (n = 21,270), p < 0.05. After adjusting for adult age, sex and socio-economic status, the odds ratios were 2.1 [95 % confidence interval (CI): 1.4-3.3] and 1.3 (95 % CI: 1.0-1.5), respectively. This longitudinal cohort study suggests that childhood chronic suppurative otitis media and childhood hearing loss after recurrent acute otitis media are associated with increased risk of dizziness in adulthood. This might reflect a permanent effect of inflammatory mediators or toxins on the vestibular system. The new finding stresses the importance of treatment and prevention of these otitis media conditions.
Division of Mental Health, Department of Psychosomatic and Health Behavior, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, PO Box 4404, Nydalen, 0403, Oslo, Norway. lisa.aarhus@fhi.no.
Lisa
L
Aarhus
Division of Mental Health, Department of Psychosomatic and Health Behavior, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, PO Box 4404, Nydalen, 0403, Oslo, Norway.
Kristian
K
Tambs
Epidemiology and Statistics Program, Division of Scientific Programs, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.
Howard J
HJ
Hoffman
Division of Mental Health, Department of Psychosomatic and Health Behavior, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, PO Box 4404, Nydalen, 0403, Oslo, Norway.
Bo
B
Engdahl
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001299:Audiometry / Q000379:methods; D002648:Child; D002908:Chronic Disease; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004244:Dizziness / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D061345:Early Medical Intervention / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D034381:Hearing Loss / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009664:Norway; D010035:Otitis Media, Suppurative / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
Dizziness; Follow-up; Inner ear; Otitis media; Vertigo