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BACKGROUND: Voice disorders are a serious and common complaint among teachers, yet there are no published studies on these conditions in the context of Al-Ahsa city in the eastern region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This study analyzed the vocal complaints of Saudi teachers, investigated their treatment-seeking behaviors, and assessed their knowledge of vocal care. METHODS: A cross-sectional online survey was randomly distributed to 604 Saudi teachers from December 2021 to March 2022. The data included sociodemographic characteristics, academic statuses, vocal symptoms and their effects, and attitudes toward voice problems. Statistical analysis was done using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (v. 23). Categorical variables were expressed as frequencies and percentages. A chi-square test was conducted to verify the association between the categorical variables. RESULTS: Of the participants, 62.1% were female. 65.4% reported having voice-related problems, with the most frequently reported symptoms being hoarseness (68.35%), throat dryness (60.76%), and sore throat (56.46%). Out of the participants who reported voice problems, 32.15% stated being affected by absenteeism from school. Only a minority of teachers sought medical help (5.1%) or received information about the vocal care (29.5%). The factors that were found to be significantly associated with voice complaints include female gender, positive family history of vocal disorders, speaking in a loud voice, being non-smoker, and having the high number of classes per week (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Voice-related complaints were highly prevalent among Saudi teachers for multiple factors, most of which were manageable. This study strongly recommends the vocal educational programs to be implemented during student teacher training.
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The thymus gland is a lymphoid organ normally located in the superior anterior mediastinum. It can rarely present abnormally in other sites along the thymopharyngeal canal and it might cause difficulties in breathing and/or feeding. We present a case report of an ectopic cervical thymus of a 10-month-old male infant who was presented to the hospital with a swelling on the left side of his neck for nine months. Investigations raised suspicion about four differential diagnoses and a total surgical excision for histopathological confirmation was deemed mandatory. It is of great importance to consider ectopic cervical thymus in the differential diagnosis of pediatric neck masses to avoid unnecessary procedures and prevent possible complications.
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Objective This study aims to measure the prevalence of diabetic neuropathy (DN) in patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) and to explore the impact of DN on quality of life (QoL) in type 1 and type 2 DM patients in Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia. Methods This cross-sectional study targeted type 1 and type 2 DM patients who live in Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia. Self-reported online questionnaires distributed randomly on social media were used. The survey included three parts: sociodemographic data, the Self-Administered Leeds Assessment of Neuropathic Symptoms and Signs (S-LANSS) questionnaire, and the modified Arabic Diabetes Quality of Life (DQoL) questionnaire. The data have been collected from April 2022 to May 2022. Results The study included participants (n = 329) of both type 1 and type 2 DM. Patients' age ranged from 18 to 82 years with a mean age of 45.9 ± 15.2 years. A total of 166 (50.5%) patients were males and 319 (97%) were Saudi nationals. The prevalence of DN in the study population was 44.1%. Of the patients with DN, 73.1% have low QoL, which means DN increased the risk of low QoL by about four times (OR = 3.9; 95% CI: 2.5-6.3). Conclusion In conclusion, the study showed that the prevalence of DN in Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia was 44.1%. The presence of DN was associated with reduced QoL. Type 2 DM, low educational level, and the presence of other comorbidities were significantly associated with low QoL.