[A pilot study of sexual health in patients with Ménière's disease].

INTRODUCTION AND

OBJECTIVES

Ménière's disease (MD) is a chronic disorder of the inner ear affecting health-related quality of life in 85% of patients. Although different studies have evaluated the impact of MD on quality of life, sexual health has not been investigated in these patients. The aim of this study was to assess sexual health in patients with MD.

MATERIAL AND

METHODS

A cross-sectional pilot study was carried out using the general health instrument SF-36, the Dizziness Handicap Inventory Short Form (DHI-S) and two specific questionnaires on sexual functioning, the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) for women and the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) for men. A statistical analysis of domains of the instruments was performed to compare the score obtained to reference values, and correlation coefficients were calculated to determine the association among different instruments. The level of significance accepted was p<0.05.

RESULTS

Forty-eight individuals (26 women and 22 men) with a mean age of 55 and a low-medium culture level were studied. Men showed a high prevalence of erectile dysfunction, twice the national reference values; women had alterations in the sexual satisfaction and pain domains. In both situations, sexual function disorders were dependent upon the SF-36 emotional domains.

CONCLUSIONS

Emotional problems associated with Ménière's disease may be associated with sexual function disorders, including sexual desire in women and erectile dysfunction in men.