The aim of this study is to evaluate the hearing behavior of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and primary Sjögren syndrome (PSS) patients and compare them with a healthy control group and with each other. A comparative cross-sectional study was performed with a group of 117 female RA patients, a group of 60 female PSS patients, and a 251 female healthy control group. Every subject underwent a series of studies including high-frequency audiometry, speech audiometry, and tympanometry. The high-frequency audiometry measured 250 to 16,000 Hz. The 117 patients with RA and the 60 with PSS were diagnosed according to American College of Rheumatology criteria / ACR 2010, and the validated classification of the American-European Consensus Group. Hearing loss was present in 36.8% of the RA group in 500-3000 Hz, 68.4% in 4000-8000 Hz, and 94.9% in 10,000-16,000 Hz. Hearing loss was present in 60% of the PSS group in 500-3000 Hz, 70% in 4000-8000 Hz, and 100% in 10,000-16,000 Hz. The hearing impairment prevalence of both groups was significantly different (p < 0.05) when compared with the healthy control group. We also compared the hearing thresholds between RA and PSS patients, finding a significant hearing threshold increase in 500-3000 Hz of the PSS group. This study consolidates the association between RA and PSS with hearing impairment. A deeper hearing loss was reported in PSS than in RA patients, demonstrating a greater auditory and speech recognition repercussion.

The aim of the study is to evaluate hearing function by extended high-frequency audiometry in primary Sjögren Syndrome (pSS) and to correlate it with disease activity. All patients diagnosed with pSS were recruited within 1 year. Patients underwent otologic evaluation, extended high-frequency audiometry, tympanogram, and the ESSPRI scale evaluation. A total of 63 (60 female and 3 male) patients with mean age 49.5 ± 9.9 years with pSS were included. We detected a hearing loss prevalence of 95.2% (60 patients) in both ears in very high frequencies (10000-16,000 Hz). The hearing loss of all patients was sensorineural. There was no significant difference between the degree of disease activity and the hearing thresholds. We enrolled 188 subjects with a mean age of 47.20 ± 9.7 years as a healthy control group. We compared the hearing thresholds of both ears of patients with pSS versus the healthy control group and observed a significant difference in frequencies above 500 Hz. Sensorineural hearing loss was found in pSS patients in frequencies above 4000 Hz. Sensorineural hearing loss was highly prevalent in pSS patients, predominantly in very high frequencies. We claim that sensorineural hearing loss could be an associated symptom of primary Sjögren syndrome and suggest further research to support this conclusion.