• Korean Journal of Audiology
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.27-35
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• 2021

Background and Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the clinical features and the clinical factors associated with prognosis of sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) in diabetic patients. Subjects and Methods: Forty-nine diabetic with unilateral SSNHL were retrospectively included. All patients received systemic high dose steroid therapy within one month after onset and had more than one month of follow-up audiogram. The basic characteristics of the patients, initial and follow-up audiograms, laboratory data, and methods of steroid treatment were collected. Results: Compared to reference values in healthy subjects, 79%, 55%, and 45% of the patients had higher values of mean neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and lymphocyte-monocyte ratio (LMR), respectively. Older patients had significantly less degree of hearing loss, but they also had significantly worse hearing thresholds in the unaffected ear. After steroid treatment, less than half patients (47%) showed hearing recovery. Simultaneous intratympanic dexamethasone (ITD) injections with systemic steroid did not confer an additional hearing gain or an earlier recovery rate in diabetic patients with SSNHL. In the multivariate analysis, initial hearing thresholds of affected ear and timing of steroid treatment were significantly associated with hearing prognosis in diabetic patients with SSNHL. Conclusions: Diabetic patients with SSNHL tended to have increased NLR, LMR, and PLR, which are reported to be associated with microvascular angiopathy. Simultaneous ITD injections to improve hearing recovery in diabetic patients with SSNHL seems unnecessary.

• Journal of Audiology & Otology
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.29-34
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• 2020

Background and Objectives: Bilateral microphones with contralateral routing of signal (BiCROS) hearing aid is an option for hearing rehabilitation in individuals with asymmetric sensorineural hearing loss (ASNHL). The clinical factors influencing the trial and purchase of BiCROS were investigated. Subjects and Methods: We reviewed the medical records of 78 patients with ASNHL who were recommended to use BiCROS and analyzed the demographic and audiological factors influencing the trial and purchase of BiCROS. Results: Among the 78 patients, 52 (66.7%) availed of the free BiCROS trial and 21 (26.9%) purchased BiCROS. The mean pure tone audiometry (PTA) air conduction (AC) threshold of the better- and worse-hearing ears were 44.2±12.8 dB and 90.7±22.5 dB HL, respectively. The decision for trial or purchase of BiCROS was not influenced by age, sex, duration of hearing loss of the worse-hearing ear, or PTA AC threshold or speech discrimination score of both ears. The first and third quartiles of the PTA AC thresholds for the better-hearing ear of BiCROS buyers were 38.75 dB and 53.75 dB HL, respectively. The counterpart values for the worse-hearing ear were 72.50 dB and 118.75 dB HL, respectively. Conclusions: The clinical factors analyzed in this study were found to be irrelevant to the trial and purchase of BiCROS in patients with ASNHL. Nevertheless, the distribution range of the auditory thresholds of the subjects using BiCROS can be a useful basis for the counseling of patients with ASNHL and selection of candidates for BiCROS use.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.263-271
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• 2006

Objective : This study describes the cases of sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) patients with marked or complete recovery. Methods : Three patients received oriental medical treatments continuously for more than 1 month and measured the hearing recovery. For diagnosis on these cases, pure tone audiometry (GSI 38, Welch allyn company) was used. For treatment, acupuncture, herbal-medicine and moxibustion treatment were applied. Results : All patients of this report had the recovery of hearing. In 2 cases, the pure-tone 5 frequency (0.25, 0.5, 1, 2, 4 KHz) average improved by more than 35 dB (Marked recovery). In 1 case, it was within the normal limits after oriental medical therapy (Complete recovery). In addition, tinnitus and vertigo decreased in all patients. Conclusions : We may expect that the oriental medical therapy improvers the hearing recovery in the patients of SSNHL.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.289-299
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• 2010

Back ground & Objectives : Bilateral sudden sensorineural hearing loss(SSNHL) is very rare disease. This is the first case report in the oriental medical literature. This study describes a case of bilateral SSNHL with incomplete recovery. Methods : We treated 1 patient who had SSNHL sequentially in both ears. He received oriental and western medical treatments for more than 2 weeks and measured the hearing recovery. For diagnosis on this case, pure tone audiometry was used. The degree of improvement was evaluated by Siegel's Criteria. Results & Conclusions : This patient discharged without hearing improvement. For bilateral SSNHL patients, the result of treatment is important for their qualities of life. But the recovery rate of hearing in bilateral SSNHL is lower than unilateral SSNHL. The oriental medical therapy had some theraputic effects on SSNHL and the theraputic effects on bilateral SSNHL requires further study.

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.181-186
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• 2014

The purpose of this study is to report a clinical progress of sudden hearing loss through korean medicine. Between 26th Mar. 2014 and 19th Apr. 2014, she was treated with Chuna manual therapy every day and observed by Pure Tone Audiometry (before and after) and visual analogue pain scale (VAS). A patient was diagnosed with sudden hearing loss on 23th Dec. 2013 in Severance Hospital, she had sudden hearing loss on left side. She had 19 times treatments. At the first of treatment, her audibility was 20 dB on right side, 74 dB on left side and she had tinitus and ear fullness (VAS 8 / VAS 9). At the middle of treatment (2nd Apr. 2014), symptoms of tinitus and ear fullness started improving. State was tinitus VAS 6, ear fullness VAS 6. At the end of treatment (21th Apr. 2014), state was tinitus VAS 4, ear fullness VAS 4, and recorded 35 dB on right side, 80 dB on left side in pure tone audiometry. Chuna manual therapy is estimated to be good for sudden hearing loss especially on tinitus and ear fullness. More cases are required to develop treatment of sudden hearing loss.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.62-69
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• 2018

This study aimed to review case reports of Korean medical treatments for sudden sensory neural hearing loss published in Korea from 1980 to 2016. We searched sudden sensory neural hearing loss through 6 major Korean web article search engines and search period was January 1980 to September 2016. Two researchers included studies on sudden hearing loss, clinical studies on korean medical treatments, and excluded in vivo studies, in vitro studies, non-original studies, published abstracts only, and studies not published in Korean or English. 19 articles were included in this study from 63 articles. Only one case report used Korean medical treatment alone. The most tools for treatment were acupunture, herbal medicine, pharmacopunture, moxibustion, cupping treatment and laser therapy. Most acupoints used in the treatment is SI19(聽宮). When patients got treated sooner, recovery rate was better. There was no direct relationship between recovery rate and degree of hearing loss. This study suggests that more research about sudden sensory neural hearing loss is needed in the future.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.221-243
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• 2003

Sudden sensorineural hearing loss may be defined as a severe loss of hearing occurring within a short space of time without any obvious cause. Its etiology is not verified yet, treatment and prognosis are uncertain. Objectives: We reviewed 6 cases of patients who hospitalized in Kyunghee Oriental Medical Center Dept. of Otolaryngology. Using the criteria of Siegel and Research Team of the Japanese Ministry of Health and Welfare of Japan, We are to evaluate the effect of Herb medication, Acupuncture therapy, and Negative therapy. We also attempted to search effective methods of therapy of sudden sensorineural hearing loss. Methods: We treated them with Oyaksunki-san(烏藥順氣散) for softening qi-stagnation and supressing 'Wind'(順氣治風), Chungsimjihwang-tang(淸心地黃湯) for strengthening 'Heart' and 'Kidney'(補心益腎), Boikyangwi-tang(補益養胃湯) for strengthening 'Wi-qi' and 'Stomach'(補衛(胃)氣). We also used acupuncture therapy and negative therapy based on the textbook of Acupuncture and Moxibustion. Results: One patient recovered completely after 5 days therapy, two patient markedly, another two patient slightly and one patient had no improvement. Conclusions: To treat sudden hearing loss, we can use Oyaksunki-san(烏藥順氣散) in the early stage of the disease. We can treat with Chungsimjihwang-tang(淸心地黃湯) and Boikyangwi-tang(補益養胃湯) in the late period of the disease, and administer Jaeumgenby-tang(滋蔭健脾湯) for suppressing tinnitus. If there is evidence of viral infection and the patient have too severe hearing loss, We can also use steroid in combination with Herb medication in the early stage of the disease. The Western medicine demonstrated that the start time of treatment had influence on recovery. If we started Oriental medical treatment within a week from the onset of sudden deafness. we will obtain the desired results. As the Western medical treatment does, Oriental medical therapy may have no effect after one month from onset of the disease.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.136-145
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• 1999

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of organic slovents and noise on hearing loss. We selected organic solvents exposed group of 32 cases, noise exposed group of 31 cases, both noise and solvent exposed group of 31 cases, and control group of 53 cases and studied the relation between exposure level of noise and organic solvents and degree of hearing loss. The results were as follows. The subjects under investigation were exposed to noise and organic solvents under threshold limit values and the amount of urinary hippuric acid excretion were also under biological exposure indices. In case of noise, both noise and organic solvents exposed group and noise exposed group were more exposed than organic solvents exposed group(p<0.05). When urinary hippuric acid excretion were concerned, both noise iud organic solvents exposed group and organic solvents exposed group showed higher values than noise exposed group(p<0.05). In comparison of mean auditory threshold values by frequency, on the air conduction test, both noise and organic solvents exposed group showed significantly higher hearing loss than noise exposed group in 500Hz of right ear, 500 and 2000Hz of left ear(p<0.05). Forty-three cases among 147 subjects were regarded as hearing loss group and average age(42.6years) of hearing loss group was higher than normal groups average age of 38.0 years. Urinary hippuric acid excretions of hearing loss group were significantly higher than normal group(p<0.05). Thirty-eight percent(12cases) of noise exposed group, 40.6 $\%$(13cases) of organic solvents exposed group, 51.6 $\%$(16cases) of both noise and organic solvents exposed group, and 3.8 $\%$(2cases) of unexposed group were regarded as hearing losers. Exposed groups showed higher incidence of hearing loss than unexposed group but there were no significant differences among the exposed groups. The variables showing significant correlation with hearing loss were age and the amount of hippuric acid in urinary excretion. When age were adjusted for the purpose of seeing the effects of hearing losses due to organic solvent, urinary excretion of hippuric acids was the only variable with significant correlation with hearing loss (p<0.05). When odds ratio to hearing loss between control and exposed groups was considered, noise exposed group showed 6.1 times (95 $\%$ CI: 3.3-8.7), organic solvents exposed group showed 7.4 times (95 $\%$ CI: 3.5-14.6) and both noise and organic solvents exposed group showed 17.2 times(95% CI: 5.6-31.8) higher values than unexposed group(p<0.01). Above results suggest that health screening test of hearing loss is also needed in organic solvents exposed workers.

• Proceedings of the Acoustical Society of Korea Conference
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• 1994.06a
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• pp.1064-1069
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• 1994

In order to realize the function of human interface of telecommunications whose objective is to interchange useful information among persons, we developed a bone conduction telephone with which hearing impaired persons with conductive or noise-induced hearing loss and presbycusis can communicate with each other without any other additional devices such as hearing aids. The bone conduction telephone we developed has chatacteristics as follows : (i) a hearing impaired person and a normal hearing person can communicate by bone and air conduction hearings, respectively, using only this telephone set because, as its receiver, it uses a bone conduction vibrator with which we can realize such function with the voice coil and damper of a small speaker unit, the vibrating plate, etc., (ii) it has tone control function compensating hearing losses of hearing impaired persons according to their hearing loss/frequency chatacteristics. Using the tone control function together with a received volume control, it has the received volume range of 20dB in loudness rating; and (iii) it has the function of three emergency calls and a bell lamp as the visual display of a received call.

• Journal of Audiology & Otology
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.230-234
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• 2021

Otosclerosis, a hereditary disorder characterized by disordered resorption and deposition of bone, results in progressive hearing loss. Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is a genetic disorder characterized by recurrent fractures, blue sclera, and varying degrees of hearing impairment; and is a known risk factor for otosclerosis. After adolescence, the risk of fracture decreases, reducing the need for follow-up in OI. However, otosclerosis is a progressive disorder. In this report, we discuss two cases of familial otosclerosis with different clinical features. We hypothesize that the difference in hearing level correlates with the difference in computed tomography findings. The mother, whose case was considered severe, was prescribed hearing aids, while the daughter, who had normal hearing level, was regularly followed up.