OBJECTIVE: To describe the otological complaints and systemic diseases reported in patients using hearing aids and to correlate these characteristics with effective hearing aid use. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Patients at a hearing health service location accredited by SUS who reported problems with hearing aid adaptation were evaluated by a physician and speech-language pathologist. A patient history was taken, followed by an ENT exam and audiological evaluation. RESULTS: The study included 30 subjects (age, 53-85 years; 19 [63%] women and 11 [37%] men) who had used hearing aids for at least 6 months. The majority of the subjects (87%) used bilateral hearing aids, and 20% reported noncontinuous use of the device, alleging dermatological discomfort or problems on the phone or in noisy environments. Family history of hearing loss was reported by 40%, and systemic comorbidities by 80%, of which the most frequent were hypertension (79%), hyperlipidemia (46%), and diabetes and hypothyroidism (29%). Regarding the presence of otological complaints, all reported at least one symptom in addition to hypoacusis, the most commonly reported being tinnitus (83%), pruritus (63%), cerumen impaction (50%), dizziness (33%), and recurrent otitis (13%). CONCLUSION: The incidence of systemic and audiological complaints was high in the studied population, which comprised mainly seniors. It is recommended that these patients be evaluated in entirety, because such actions can contribute to improving the quality of life and assist in the process of adaptation of the hearing aid device.
