Middle ear and hearing disorders of schoolchildren aged 7-10 years in South Sinai, Egypt

Hearing loss among schoolchildren in developing countries is reported to be a significant health problem. Data on child hearing loss in South Sinai, a remote governorate of Egypt, are lacking. Middle ear diseases and hearing impairment were assessed among 453 primary-school children aged 7-10 years in South Sinai [906 ears]. Otoscopic examination, tympanometry and pure tone audiometry [PTA] were done. Ear disease was found in 27.5% of the ears examined. The commonest cause was secretory otitis media [10.8%], followed by occluded earwax [9.5%]. Mild and moderate hearing loss affected 8.5% of the sample, while sensorineural hearing loss affected 2.4%; only 0.4% had moderate and severe hearing loss. Hearing impairment affects 19.3% of this age group in South Sinai. None of the children with hearing impairment had been previously diagnosed or was receiving treatment and support. Hearing and middle ear screening at schools is recommended for early detection and management of middle ear and hearing problems

Prevalence and patterns of hearing impairment in Egypt: a national household survey

We conducted a national household survey to estimate the prevalence and causes of hearing impairment in Egypt. From 6 randomly selected governorates [Alexandria, Dakahlia, Luxor, Marsa Matrouh, Minia and North Sinai], 4000 individuals were screened for hearing loss. The prevalence of hearing loss was 16.0% with no significant sex differences. There were significant differences between the age groups and governorates: Marsa Matrouh had the highest prevalence of hearing loss [25.7%] and North Sinai the lowest [13.5%]; those >/= 65 years had the highest prevalence [49.3%], but it was also high in those aged 0-4 years [22.4%]. Otitis media with effusion [30.8%] was the commonest cause of hearing loss, followed by presbycusis [22.7%]