Noise Disturbance and Potential Hearing Loss due to Exposure of Dental Equipment in Flemish Dentists

Long-term exposure to occupational noise is often associated with noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) among dentists. This study aims to investigate potential hearing loss (HL) and self-reported annoyance as a result of exposure to noise produced by contemporary dental equipment. Methods: Three cohorts participated: 53 dentists with more than 5 years of service, 47 dentists with at most 5 years of service, and 53 pharmacists as controls, age and gender-matched to the first group. After the exclusion of one person, the hearing of 304 ears was screened with the Flemish version of the digit triplet in noise test (DTT). If screening failed, otoscopy and pure tone audiometry (PTA) were performed for both ears. Furthermore, general information, knowledge, exposure, annoyance, general health, and preventive measures were assessed with a custom-made questionnaire. Results: NIHL did not occur significantly more often with dentists than with controls. However, dentists revealed a significantly higher annoyance (related to the noise from their equipment) and reported more complaints than the pharmacists. All three groups indicated lack of knowledge on hearing care. Conclusions: While noise levels in contemporary dentistry are not harmful and do not induce NIHL, the sounds emitted by the devices are disturbing and affect mental health. This study calls for increased awareness of the consequences of sound exposure and stresses the need to monitor and protect the hearing of dentists regularly.

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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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Pure-tone audiometry without bone-conduction thresholds: using the digits-in-noise test to detect conductive hearing loss

International Journal of Audiology ◽

10.1080/14992027.2020.1783585 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 59 (10) ◽

pp. 801-808 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Karina C. De Sousa ◽

Cas Smits ◽

David R. Moore ◽

Hermanus Carel Myburgh ◽

De Wet Swanepoel

Keyword(s):

Hearing Loss ◽

Pure Tone ◽

Conductive Hearing Loss ◽

Bone Conduction ◽

Pure Tone Audiometry ◽

Noise Test ◽

Conductive Hearing

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Clinical Asssessment of Sensorineural Hearing Loss among Diabetes Mellitus Patients

Bengal Journal of Otolaryngology and Head Neck Surgery ◽

10.47210/bjohns.2020.v28i2.297 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 28 (2) ◽

pp. 112-119

Author(s):

Raveendra P Gadag ◽

Puneeth S Nayak ◽

Tejaswini J

Keyword(s):

Hearing Loss ◽

Blood Glucose ◽

Family History ◽

Hearing Impairment ◽

Fasting Blood Glucose ◽

Bone Conduction ◽

Pure Tone Audiometry ◽

Chi Square ◽

History Of ◽

And Gender

Background: Hearing impairment is known to hamper the quality of life among patients, especially among diabetics due to the association of neuropathy with diabetes. However, the prevalence and degree of the SNHL depends upon different factors, such as age, gender, disease duration of DM, family history and glycemic status of the patients. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the association of SNHL with DM duration and familial DM and gender preponderance among SNHL–DM patients. Methods: Total 140 patients with DM were assessed for hearing impairment using Rinne, Weber and Absolute Bone Conduction Tests along with pure tone audiometry. Patients’ glycaemic status was determined by estimating fasting blood glucose (FBG) and post prandial blood glucose (PPBG) levels. Independent t-test, chi-square, ANOVA and Pearson’s correlation tests along with linear regression model were used to find association and correlation using R software. Results: Out of 140 patients, 60 were suffering from SNHL and majority were suffering from bilateral minimal hearing loss. SNHL was significantly associated with family history, age, duration of DM, FBG and PPBG levels were(Pvalues:1.79E08, 4.41E-06 and 0.02), however, significant correlated with duration of DM, FBS and PPBG level (r value:0.14–0.41).Furthermore, significant SNHL at 500 and 8000Hz was observed in the present study (Pvalue:0.002). Conclusion: A conclusive proof was drawn that family history of DM serve as a valuable variable in assessing the SNHL among DM patients.

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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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Vestibular migraine – validity of clinical diagnostic criteria

Cephalalgia ◽

10.1177/0333102411405228 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 31 (8) ◽

pp. 906-913 ◽

Cited By ~ 63

Author(s):

Andrea Radtke ◽

Hannelore Neuhauser ◽

Michael von Brevern ◽

Tilman Hottenrott ◽

Thomas Lempert

Keyword(s):

Hearing Loss ◽

Diagnostic Criteria ◽

High Reliability ◽

Pure Tone Audiometry ◽

Vestibular Migraine ◽

Clinical Criteria ◽

Term Evaluation ◽

Clinical Diagnostic Criteria

Background: Clinical recognition of vestibular migraine (VM) is still hampered by the lack of consensus diagnostic criteria. The aim of this study is a long-term evaluation of clinical criteria for definite (dVM) and probable (pVM) vestibular migraine. Methods: We re-assessed 75 patients (67 women, age 24–76 years) with dVM (n = 47) or pVM (n = 28) according to previously published criteria after a mean follow-up of 8.75 ± 1.3 years. Assessment included a comprehensive neurotological clinical examination, pure tone audiometry and caloric testing. Results: dVM was confirmed in 40 of 47 patients with a prior diagnosis of dVM (85%). Fourteen of 28 patients initially classified as pVM met criteria for dVM (50%), nine for pVM (32%). Six additional patients with dVM and two with pVM had developed mild sensorineural hearing loss, formally fulfilling criteria for bilateral Menière’s disease (MD), but had clinical features atypical of MD. Seven of these also met criteria for dVM at follow-up. The initial diagnosis was completely revised for four patients. Conclusion: Although VM diagnosis lacks a gold standard for evaluation of diagnostic criteria, repeated comprehensive neurotological evaluation after a long follow-up period indicates not only high reliability but also high validity of presented clinical criteria (positive predictive value 85%). Half of patients with pVM evolve to meet criteria for dVM. However, in a subgroup of VM patients with hearing loss, criteria for dVM and MD are not sufficiently discriminative.

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

Journal of Evolution of Medical and Dental Sciences ◽

10.14260/jemds/2021/745 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (43) ◽

pp. 3676-3682

Author(s):

Jayaprada Reddy Surakanti ◽

Vikram Reddy Guntakandla ◽

Preethi Raga ◽

Vishwaja Uppalapati ◽

Sai Praveena Kunaparaju ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Hearing Loss ◽

Pure Tone ◽

Noise Exposure ◽

Pure Tone Audiometry ◽

Control Group ◽

Dental Practitioners ◽

Conservative Dentistry ◽

Loss Of Hearing ◽

Dental Professionals

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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Reversible Long-Term Changes in Auditory Processing in Mature Auditory Cortex in the Absence of Hearing Loss Induced by Passive, Moderate-Level Sound Exposure

Ear and Hearing ◽

10.1097/aud.0b013e318241e880 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 33 (3) ◽

pp. 305-314 ◽

Cited By ~ 45

Author(s):

Martin Pienkowski ◽

Jos J. Eggermont

Keyword(s):

Hearing Loss ◽

Auditory Cortex ◽

Auditory Processing ◽

Moderate Level ◽

Sound Exposure ◽

Long Term Changes

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Association Between Tinnitus Pitch and Consonant Recognition in Noise

American Journal of Audiology ◽

10.1044/2020_aja-20-00050 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 29 (4) ◽

pp. 916-929

Author(s):

Yihsin Tai ◽

Fatima T. Husain

Keyword(s):

Hearing Loss ◽

Word Recognition ◽

Pure Tone Audiometry ◽

Error Rates ◽

Self Report ◽

Hearing Sensitivity ◽

Sentence Recognition ◽

Speech In Noise ◽

Consonant Recognition ◽

Noise Test

Purpose Difficulties in speech-in-noise understanding are often reported in individuals with tinnitus. Building on our previous findings that speech-in-noise performance is correlated with subjective loudness of tinnitus, this study aimed to investigate the effect of tinnitus pitch on consonant recognition in noise. Method Pure-tone audiometry and the Quick Speech-in-Noise Test were conducted on 66 participants categorized into four groups by their hearing sensitivity and self-report of tinnitus. Consonant recognition scores at various frequency ranges were obtained at the 5 dB SNR condition of the Quick Speech-in-Noise Test. Participants with tinnitus also completed a tinnitus pitch-matching procedure. Correlation analyses were conducted between tinnitus pitch and the frequency of the worst consonant recognition, and the error rates based on word and sentence position were compared. Results Regardless of hearing sensitivity, tinnitus pitch did not correlate with the frequency of the worst consonant recognition. Sentence-initial word recognition was affected by hearing loss, whereas sentence-final word recognition was not affected by hearing loss or tinnitus. In contrast to individuals with normal hearing, participants with hearing loss varied in full-sentence recognition, with those reporting tinnitus exhibiting significantly higher error rates. Conclusions The findings suggest that the effect of tinnitus on consonant recognition in noise may involve higher level functions more than perceptual characteristics of tinnitus. Furthermore, for individuals with speech-in-noise concerns, clinical evaluation should address both hearing sensitivity and the presence of tinnitus. Future speech-in-noise studies should incorporate cognitive tests and, possibly, brain imaging to parse out the contribution of cognitive factors, such as cognitive control, in speech-in-noise in tinnitus.

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Temporary and Permanent Hearing Loss Among College-Aged Drumline Members

Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting ◽

10.1177/1541931213601234 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 60 (1) ◽

pp. 1009-1013

Author(s):

Montana Haygood ◽

Bruce N. Walker

Keyword(s):

Hearing Loss ◽

Hearing Threshold ◽

Control Group ◽

Significant Shift ◽

Marching Band ◽

Community Based ◽

Sound Exposure ◽

Hearing Thresholds ◽

Before And After ◽

And Gender

Many musicians experience dangerous levels of sound exposure throughout their musical careers. In particular, members of marching percussion ensembles (“drumlines”) are exposed to prolonged periods of potentially damaging levels of sound. As a result, they are at risk of developing hearing loss. This study determines whether any significant hearing loss or threshold shifts occurs with drumline members in an indoor drumline and college marching band. Two groups of participants were analyzed: one group consisted of both college drumline and community-based competitive drumline members, while the other (control) group consisted of non-drummers who were matched for age and gender to the drummers. The non-drummers were given an audiogram to determine the lowest levels of sound they could detect. The drummers were given an audiogram immediately before and after a drumline rehearsal. First, the drummer group showed significant hearing loss at the start of their rehearsal, compared to the non-drummer group. This is indication of permanent hearing loss for the drummers. Second, the drummers’ hearing thresholds after rehearsal were compared to their levels immediately before rehearsal. A significant shift in the drummer group’s hearing threshold was found, indicating (additional) temporary hearing loss occurring over the course of the rehearsal. Earplug usage of the drummers during their rehearsals was also analyzed. Drummers who did not wear earplugs exhibited a significantly greater threshold shift (i.e., hearing loss) than drummers who did wear earplugs. Evidence of both temporary and permanent hearing loss amongst the drummer group makes it clear that drumline members should be required to wear hearing protection during rehearsals, and presumably also during performances.

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