Dentist’s Hub Bub - A Cross-Sectional Study on Impact of Long-Term Occupational Noise Exposure on Hearing Potential among Dental Practitioners

BACKGROUND Dentists are liable to loss of hearing during dental treatment due to noise exposure. A study was carried out to determine whether or not dental professionals from the Department of Periodontics, Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics and Prosthodontics ought to cause hearing decrement with the aid of using continual excessive frequency sounds created by dental equipments. METHODS This study involved 38 dentists from the specialities of Periodontics, Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics, and Prosthodontics who were subjected to noise during operating for 6 hours per day and 38 medical professionals who were matched served as a control group. Three audiometric examinations included an otoscopic exam; tympanometry and pure tone audiometry were performed by the participants. RESULTS According to the data, 15.8 % of dentists and 2.6 % of the control group suffered from loss of hearing. In the pure tone audiometry test, there was no substantial difference between the two groups; however, the qualitative analysis showed that the dentists' group had a greater percentage of hearing loss than their control counterparts. In the pure tone audiometry test, there was a statistically significant difference between the specialists from periodontics, conservative dentistry and endodontics, and prosthodontics (P = 0.005). CONCLUSIONS Noise from dental clinics has been shown to cause hearing problems, with the left ear being affected when compared to that of the right; again, these problems aren't serious. Dentists were common among noise-induced hearing impairment and periodontic specialists than conservative dentistry and endodontics, and prosthodontic specialists than the control group. KEY WORDS Dental Professionals, Long Term Exposure, Noise-Induced Hearing Loss, Pure Tone Audiometry.

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Hearing Screening for Residents in Long-Term Care Homes Who Live with Dementia: A Scoping Review

Journal of Alzheimer s Disease ◽

10.3233/jad-215087 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-24

Author(s):

Fiona Höbler ◽

Katherine S. McGilton ◽

Walter Wittich ◽

Kate Dupuis ◽

Marilyn Reed ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Hearing Loss ◽

Nursing Staff ◽

Scoping Review ◽

Pure Tone ◽

Long Term Care ◽

Pure Tone Audiometry ◽

Care Homes ◽

Term Care

Background: Hearing loss is highly prevalent in older adults, particularly among those living with dementia and residing in long-term care homes (LTCHs). Sensory declines can have deleterious effects on functioning and contribute to frailty, but the hearing needs of residents are often unrecognized or unaddressed. Objective: To identify valid and reliable screening measures that are effective for the identification of hearing loss and are suitable for use by nursing staff providing care to residents with dementia in LTCHs. Methods: Electronic databases (Embase, Medline, PsycINFO, CENTRAL, and CINAHL) were searched using comprehensive search strategies, and a stepwise approach based on Arksey & O’Malley’s scoping review and appraisal process was followed. Results: There were 193 scientific papers included in the review. Pure-tone audiometry was the most frequently reported measure to test hearing in older adults living with dementia. However, measures including self- or other-reports and questionnaires, review of medical records, otoscopy, and the whisper test were found to be most suitable for use by nurses working with older adults living with dementia in LTCHs. Conclusion: Although frequently used, the suitability of pure-tone audiometry for use by nursing staff in LTCHs is limited, as standardized audiometry presents challenges for many residents, and specific training is needed to successfully adapt test administration procedures and interpret results. The whisper test was considered to be more suitable for use by staff in LTCH; however, it yields a limited characterization of hearing loss. There remains an urgent need to develop new approaches to screen hearing in LTCHs.

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HEARING EVALUATION OF NIGERIAN PRISON INMATES: A CROSS-SECTIONAL SURVEY

Kanem Journal of Medical Sciences ◽

10.36020/kjms.2020.1402.002 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 14 (2) ◽

pp. 106-114

Author(s):

Abdullahi Musa Kirfi ◽

◽

Mohammed Bello Fufore ◽

Garba Mohammed Mainasara ◽

Abdulrazak Ajiya ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Hearing Loss ◽

Pure Tone ◽

Hearing Threshold ◽

Pure Tone Audiometry ◽

Control Group ◽

Prison Inmates ◽

Impaired Hearing ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

The Mean ◽

The Right

Background: Prisoners, due to confinement are isolated from contact with the society and access to many of the facilities, including medical care. This study aimed to evaluate the hearing threshold of inmates of Kaduna convict prison. Method: It was a cross-sectional study of prison inmates at the Kaduna convict prison between April 2017 and February 2019. Ethical approvals were obtained from relevant bodies and all consented inmates aged 18 – 55years in the Kaduna convict prison were enrolled. Equal number of control matched for age and gender were enrolled from the communities in Kaduna North Local Government Area. Data were collated using a structured questionnaire. A diagnostic Pure Tone Audiometry was performed to assess their hearing threshold. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20.0 was used for analysis. Results: Four hundred and thirty inmates and equal number of control group were enrolled. The mean age for the inmates and controls were 30.2±7.5 and 30.4±8.02 years respectively. There were 383 males and 47 females in both groups. Among the 860 ears of the inmates, 238(27.7%) ears had hearing loss while in the control group, 95/ (11.1%) ears had impaired hearing. Conductive hearing loss was the commonest among the inmates 111(46.6%) while sensorineural was commoner among the controls 57(60.0%). The mean pure tone average among the inmates was 25.6±11.3dBHL and 26.1±11.2dBHL on the right and left ears respectively while in the control group, it was 18.4±7.8dBHL on the right and 17.9±7.9dBHL on the left. Conclusion: This study revealed that hearing loss was more prevalent among prison inmates than the general population. In majority of the inmates, the hearing loss was mild, conductive and mostly affecting all the frequencies.

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Audiometric Characteristics of Presbycusis: A Hospital-Based Study

Journal of Islamabad Medical & Dental College ◽

10.35787/jimdc.v10i3.543 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (3) ◽

pp. 169-175

Author(s):

Ghulam Saqulain ◽

Gul Zahra ◽

Nazia Mumtaz

Keyword(s):

Hearing Loss ◽

High Frequency ◽

Pure Tone ◽

Noise Exposure ◽

Pure Tone Audiometry ◽

Sampling Technique ◽

Rehabilitation Medicine ◽

Speech Discrimination ◽

Chi Square ◽

Severe Hearing Loss

Background: Presbycusis is related to degenerative changes of aging resulting from deficient cochlear microcirculation. It is characterized by bilateral, symmetrical, sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) in which recruitment and speech discrimination is affected in the absence of noise exposure. The objective of this study was to analyze the pure tone audiogram characteristics in Presbycusis. Methods: This descriptive study recruited n=192 cases of presbycusis of both genders, aged 50 to 80 years with convenience sampling technique. The study was conducted at Yusra General Hospital and the National Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine, Islamabad from1st July 2017 to 30th September 2017. Pure tone audiometry was used to collect audiometric data. SPSS-24 was used for data analysis. Chi-square and Pearson’s correlation were used to determine association between variables with p < 0.05 taken as significant. Results: Pure tone audiometry revealed 58 (30.2%) right and 65 (33.9%) left ears with high frequency gently sloping audiogram, while the second commonest configuration being high frequency steeply sloping curve in 51(26.6%) right and 52(27.1%) left ears. There was a significant correlation between the configuration of the audiogram and age with p=0.000, while no significant correlation with gender (p=0.71). The majority,77 (40.10%) right and 71(36.98%) of left ears had moderately severe hearing loss, while severe hearing loss was second commonest with 60(31.25%) right and 70(36.46%) left ears affected. The severity of hearing loss had a significant (P=0.000) positive correlation with age but no significant relationship with gender. Conclusion: High frequency gently sloping audiogram was the commonest configuration followed by high frequency steeply sloping curve. Moderately severe hearing loss was most commonly seen followed by severe hearing loss.

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Genetic and audiologic study in elderly with sensorineural hearing loss

CoDAS ◽

10.1590/s2317-17822013000300006 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 25 (3) ◽

pp. 224-228 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Kelly Martins ◽

Marília Fontenele ◽

Silva Câmara ◽

Edi Lúcia Sartorato

Keyword(s):

Hearing Loss ◽

Sensorineural Hearing Loss ◽

Noise Exposure ◽

Pure Tone Audiometry ◽

Genetic Mutation ◽

Sensorineural Hearing ◽

Control Group ◽

Case Group ◽

Syndromic Hearing Loss ◽

And Gender

PURPOSE: This study aimed to correlate probable predisposing factors for sensorineural hearing loss in elderly by investigating the audiologic characteristics and frequency of mutations in genes considered responsible for non-syndromic hearing loss. METHODS: Sixty elderly patients were separated into two groups: the Case Group, composed of 30 individuals, 21 females and nine males, all 60 years old or older and presenting diagnoses of sensorineural hearing loss, and the Control Group, composed of 30 elderly individuals matched to the experimental group by age and gender, presenting normal hearing. The patients underwent anamnesis and pure tone audiometry in frequencies of 250, 500, 1000, 2000, 3000, 4000 and 6000 Hz. Blood samples were collected from each patient for analysis of mutations in nuclear and mitochondrial genes related to non-syndromic sensorineural hearing loss. RESULTS: It was observed a greater tendency to noise exposure and consumption of alcohol in the Case Group. The statistically significant symptoms between the groups were tinnitus and hearing difficulty in several situations as: silent environment, telephone, television, sound location and in church. All the individuals of Case Group presented sensorineural and bilateral hearing loss. The symmetry and progression of the hearing impairment were also statistically significant between the groups. No genetic mutations were identified. CONCLUSION: The most reported symptoms were communication difficulties and tinnitus. The predominant auditory characteristics included sensorineural, bilateral, progressive and symmetrical hearing loss. It was not evidenced a relationship between sensorineural hearing loss in elderly and genes considered responsible for non-syndromic hearing loss as no genetic mutation was found in this study.

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Research and Discussion on the Relationships between Noise-Induced Hearing Loss and ATP2B2 Gene Polymorphism

International Journal of Genomics ◽

10.1155/2019/5048943 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 2019 ◽

pp. 1-8

Author(s):

Suhao Zhang ◽

Enmin Ding ◽

Haoyang Yin ◽

Hengdong Zhang ◽

Baoli Zhu

Keyword(s):

Hearing Loss ◽

Gene Polymorphism ◽

Noise Exposure ◽

Venous Blood ◽

Pure Tone Audiometry ◽

Control Group ◽

Case Group ◽

Noise Induced Hearing Loss ◽

Cochlear Hair Cells ◽

Potential Biomarker

Long-term and continuous noise exposure can result in noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL), which is a worldwide problem resulting from the interaction of environmental and genetic factors. The ATP2B2 gene polymorphism can destroy cochlear hair cells and increase the risk of NIHL. A case-control study of 760 Chinese textile workers was conducted to investigate the relationship between ATP2B2 polymorphisms and NIHL susceptibility. Venous blood was collected and questionnaires were conducted by professional physicians. A case group and a control group which were typed by individuals’ pure-tone audiometry test results were set. Three polymorphism sites of ATP2B2 were genotyped by using the PCR technique. Analysis results revealed that the C allele of rs3209637 (95%CI=1.08–2.58, odds ratio OR=1.67, P=0.027) was a dangerous factor and could add to risks of NIHL in the Chinese employees. The data of stratified analysis revealed that individuals who are exposed to noise>95 dB with the rs3209637 C genotype have a higher susceptibility to NIHL (OR=1.34, 95%CI=1.07–1.68). Multifactor dimensionality reduction analysis revealed that the interaction between rs14154 and rs3209637 is linked to increased NIHL risk, and for the interaction among rs14154, smoking and drinking had the same function (OR=1.54 and 1.77, 95%CI=1.15–2.07, 1.33–2.37, and P=0.0037 and P<0.0001, respectively). Our results suggest that genetic polymorphism rs3209637 C within ATP2B2 is a risk factor for NIHL among Chinese employees and rs3209637 C could be a potential biomarker for NIHL patients.

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Monitoring of conductive hearing loss due to because of eustachian tube dysfunction preservative treated with the Otovent pneumotherapy method.

Journal of Medical Science ◽

10.20883/jms.2018.302 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 87 (3) ◽

pp. 133-137

Author(s):

Małgorzata Nowak ◽

Beata Wolnowska ◽

Alicja Sekula

Keyword(s):

Hearing Loss ◽

Eustachian Tube ◽

Research Group ◽

Pure Tone ◽

Conductive Hearing Loss ◽

Pure Tone Audiometry ◽

Control Group ◽

Tube Obstruction ◽

Before And After ◽

Conductive Hearing

INTRODUCTION. A conductive hearing loss is a very common problem in childhood. It is possible to indicate many reasons for the problem, but most of the times it is caused by the infectious process, as well as the typical adenoid hypertrophy in children. Very often this disease is associated with obstruction of the eustachian tube.OBJECTIVE. In this study, the authors present the results of the hearing tests of patients who underwent the treatment of the eustachian tube obstruction by pneumotherapy with otovent. The aim of the work was to monitor the effectiveness of this method of OME treatment.RESEARCH GROUP AND METHODOLOGY. The research group consisted of 54 children aged 4 to 15 years, including 23 girls and 31 boys. The control group consisted of 16 children. Pure tone audiometry and impedance audiometry were performed before and after the therapy, for all of the participants.RESULTS. Obtained results of the study showed improvement in hearing in children correctly using the Otovent set. Hearing improvement was recorded both in the results of pure tone audiometry and impedance audiometry.CONCLUSIONS. The obtained results showed the effectiveness of the pneumotherapy method. In the case of the research group, 81.4% of children achieved the auditory norm (44 people). In the case of the control group, after a fixed period of application of the Otovent set, this value was 0%. The intergroup comparative analysis clearly shows that the research group obtained significantly better results within all of the parameters assessed, than the control group.

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Examination of Hearing in a Rheumatoid Arthritis Population: Role of Extended-High-Frequency Audiometry in the Diagnosis of Subclinical Involvement

Scientifica ◽

10.1155/2016/5713283 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 2016 ◽

pp. 1-7 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Mar Lasso de la Vega ◽

Ithzel Maria Villarreal ◽

Julio Lopez-Moya ◽

Jose Ramon Garcia-Berrocal

Keyword(s):

Rheumatoid Arthritis ◽

Hearing Loss ◽

Sensorineural Hearing Loss ◽

High Frequency ◽

Pure Tone ◽

Pure Tone Audiometry ◽

Sensorineural Hearing ◽

Control Group ◽

Immunological Parameters ◽

High Frequency Audiometry

Objective. The aim of this study is to analyze the high-frequency hearing levels in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and to determine the relationship between hearing loss, disease duration, and immunological parameters.Materials and Methods.A descriptive cross-sectional study including fifty-three patients with rheumatoid arthritis was performed. The control group consisted of 71 age- and sex-matched patients from the study population (consecutively recruited in Madrid “Area 9,” from January 2010 to February 2011). Both a pure tone audiometry and an extended-high-frequency audiometry were performed.Results. Extended-high-frequency audiometry diagnosed sensorineural hearing loss in 69.8% of the patients which exceeded the results obtained with pure tone audiometry (43% of the patients). This study found significant correlations in patients with sensorineural hearing loss related to age, sex, and serum anti-cardiolipin (aCL) antibody levels.Conclusion.Sensorineural hearing loss must be considered within the clinical context of rheumatoid arthritis. Our results demonstrated that an extended-high-frequency audiometry is a useful audiological test that must be performed within the diagnostic and follow-up testing of patients with rheumatoid arthritis, providing further insight into a disease-modifying treatment or a hearing loss preventive treatment.

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Noise induced hearing loss in dance music disc jockeys and an examination of sound levels in nightclubs

The Journal of Laryngology & Otology ◽

10.1258/002221504772784577 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 118 (2) ◽

pp. 123-128 ◽

Cited By ~ 28

Author(s):

Adam Bray ◽

Marcin Szymański ◽

Robert Mills

Keyword(s):

Hearing Loss ◽

Pure Tone ◽

Noise Exposure ◽

Pure Tone Audiometry ◽

Study Group ◽

Temporary Threshold Shift ◽

Noise Induced Hearing Loss ◽

Dance Music ◽

Sound Levels ◽

Substantial Risk

Noise exposure, hearing loss and associated otological symptoms have been studied in a group of 23 disc jockeys using a questionnaire and pure tone audiometry. The level of noise exposure in the venues where they work has also been studied using Ametek Mk-3 audio dosimeters. Three members of the study group showed clear evidence of noise-induced hearing losson audiometry, 70 per cent reported temporary threshold shift after sessions and 74 per cent reported tinnitus. Sound levels of up to 108 dB(A) were recorded in the nightclubs. The average level for a typical session was 96 dB(A) which is above the level at which the provision of ear protection is mandatory for employers in industry. It can be concluded that DJs are at substantial risk of developing noise-induced hearing loss and noise exposure in nightclubs frequently exceeds safe levels.

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Hearing Loss Among Excessive Mobile Phone Users; A Cross Sectional Study At Bahawal Victoria And Civil Teaching Hospitals Bahawalpur

Journal of Bahria University Medical and Dental College ◽

10.51985/jbumdc2018074 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 09 (01) ◽

pp. 21-24

Author(s):

Muhammad Asim Shafique ◽

Muhammad Fahim ◽

Masood Akhtar ◽

Muhammad Adnan Anwar ◽

Anum Jamshed

Keyword(s):

Hearing Loss ◽

Mobile Phone ◽

Pure Tone ◽

Bone Conduction ◽

Pure Tone Audiometry ◽

Test Group ◽

Teaching Hospitals ◽

Control Group ◽

P Value ◽

Cross Sectional

Objective: To assess the hearing loss among the subjects using excessive mobile phone. Methodology: 50 subjects were entered for this study with age ranging from 20 to 40 years using mobile phone for more than 5 years. 25 subjects who used mobile phone for less than (<) 60 min /day formed one group, while 25 subjects who used cell phone for more than (>) 60 min /day formed the second group. The hearing levels of all the subjects were tested using Pure Tone Audiometry (PTA). Duration of mobile phone usage was assessed by questionnaires. Results: There was a significant increase (p-value .00006) in the hearing thresholds at all frequencies in air conduction and bone conduction in right ear in test group compared with the control group. Similar result was found in the left ear except for bone conduction at frequency 4 and 6 (kilo hertz) kHz. Excessive use of mobile phone caused Sensory neural hearing loss and the prevalence was 84% in group who used mobile phone for > 60 min / day and 20% in group who used for < 60 min / day. Conclusion: Excessive use of mobile phone may cause increase in pure tone threshold associated with the duration of usage. The use for more than 5 years with more than 60 minutes daily can produce harmful effects on human hearing.

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Wideband Acoustic Reflex Growth in Adults With Cystic Fibrosis

American Journal of Audiology ◽

10.1044/2020_aja-20-00117 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-9

Author(s):

Martha R. Westman ◽

Daniel B. Putterman ◽

Angela C. Garinis ◽

Lisa L. Hunter ◽

M. Patrick Feeney

Keyword(s):

Cystic Fibrosis ◽

Otoacoustic Emissions ◽

Pure Tone ◽

Noise Exposure ◽

Pure Tone Audiometry ◽

Normal Hearing ◽

Control Group ◽

Acoustic Reflex ◽

Cochlear Hair Cells ◽

High Exposure

Purpose Individuals with cystic fibrosis (CF) are often treated with intravenous (IV) aminoglycoside (AG) antibiotics to manage life-threatening bacterial infections. Preclinical animal data suggest that, in addition to damaging cochlear hair cells, this class of antibiotics may cause cochlear synaptopathy and/or damage to higher auditory structures. The acoustic reflex growth function (ARGF) is a noninvasive, objective measure of neural function in the auditory system. A shallow ARGF (small reflex-induced changes in middle ear function with increasing elicitor level) has been associated with synaptopathy due to noise exposure in rodent and human studies. In this study, the ARGF was obtained in CF patients with normal hearing, some of whom have been treated with IV AGs, and a control group without CF. The hypothesis was that patients with IV-AG exposure would have a shallow ARGF due to cochlear synaptopathy caused by ototoxicity. Method Wideband ARGFs were examined in four groups of normal-hearing participants: a control group of 29 individuals without CF; and in 57 individuals with CF grouped by lifetime IV-AG exposure: 15 participants with no exposure, 21 with low exposure, and 21 with high exposure. Procedures included pure-tone audiometry, clinical immittance, wideband acoustic immittance battery, including ARGFs, and transient evoked otoacoustic emissions. Results CF subjects with normal pure-tone thresholds and either high or low lifetime IV-AG exposure had enhanced ARGFs compared to controls and CF participants without IV-AG exposure. The groups did not differ in transient evoked otoacoustic emission signal-to-noise ratio. Conclusion These results diverge from the shallow ARGF pattern observed in studies of noise-induced cochlear synaptopathy and are suggestive of a central mechanism of auditory dysfunction in patients with AG-induced ototoxicity.

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