The Effect of Vehicle Noise on Hearing Thresholds in Heavy Vehicle Drivers
Background: Noise-induced hearing loss is a common causes of sensorineural hearing loss. Drivers of heavy vehicles such as bus and truck are more exposed to the noise associated with traffic and automobiles than other members of the community, which can damage their auditory system. The present stud...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Bushehr University of Medical Sciences
2019-01-01
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| Series: | Iranian South Medical Journal |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://ismj.bpums.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-1-77&slc_lang=en&sid=1 |
| _version_ | 1818488621074743296 |
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| author | Shadi Pourshafie Zohreh Izadfard Sadegh Jafarzadeh |
| author_facet | Shadi Pourshafie Zohreh Izadfard Sadegh Jafarzadeh |
| author_sort | Shadi Pourshafie |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Noise-induced hearing loss is a common causes of sensorineural hearing loss. Drivers of heavy vehicles such as bus and truck are more exposed to the noise associated with traffic and automobiles than other members of the community, which can damage their auditory system. The present study was conducted to investigate the hearing status of heavy vehicle drivers and its relationship with factors such as age under 40 years, work experience and mean daily working hours.
Materials and Methods: The present study examined the level of sensorineural hearing loss in 132 drivers, i.e. 264 ears. The drivers’ details, including age, work experience and mean daily working hours, were first recorded. Every candidate then underwent otoscopy and pure-tone audiometry at frequencies of 500, 1000, 2000, 4000 and 8000 Hz performed by an audiologist in a sound treated room. The blood pressure of these drivers was also recorded using normal techniques of blood pressure measurement. The drivers with other sensorineural hearing loss factors, including presbycusis at ages over 40 and ototoxicity, were excluded from the study.
Results: The drivers’ mean age was found to be 34.0±5.097 years, their mean work experience 11.19±5.158 years and their daily working hours 5-16 hours with a mean of 9.2±56.275 hours. The highest frequency of hearing loss was observed at a frequency of 4000 Hz in about 23% of the drivers, followed the prevalence observed at 8000 Hz. No significant differences were found between hearing thresholds of intra-city and intercity drivers. Moreover, significant relationships were observed between the level of hearing loss and factors such as age, work experience and the mean daily working hours.
Conclusion: Hearing loss was observed in about one quarter of the drivers, suggesting a high frequency of noise-induced hearing loss in drivers despite the elimination of other factors contributing to sensorineural hearing loss. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-10T16:53:36Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7d7a4d0fc5f441559c6537a9e2f9971c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1735-4374 1735-6954 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-10T16:53:36Z |
| publishDate | 2019-01-01 |
| publisher | Bushehr University of Medical Sciences |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Iranian South Medical Journal |
| spelling | doaj.art-7d7a4d0fc5f441559c6537a9e2f9971c2022-12-22T01:40:48ZengBushehr University of Medical SciencesIranian South Medical Journal1735-43741735-69542019-01-01216472480The Effect of Vehicle Noise on Hearing Thresholds in Heavy Vehicle DriversShadi Pourshafie0Zohreh Izadfard1Sadegh Jafarzadeh2 Department of Audiology, School of Rehabilitation, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Department of Audiology, School of Rehabilitation, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Department of Audiology, School of Paramedical Sciences, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran Background: Noise-induced hearing loss is a common causes of sensorineural hearing loss. Drivers of heavy vehicles such as bus and truck are more exposed to the noise associated with traffic and automobiles than other members of the community, which can damage their auditory system. The present study was conducted to investigate the hearing status of heavy vehicle drivers and its relationship with factors such as age under 40 years, work experience and mean daily working hours. Materials and Methods: The present study examined the level of sensorineural hearing loss in 132 drivers, i.e. 264 ears. The drivers’ details, including age, work experience and mean daily working hours, were first recorded. Every candidate then underwent otoscopy and pure-tone audiometry at frequencies of 500, 1000, 2000, 4000 and 8000 Hz performed by an audiologist in a sound treated room. The blood pressure of these drivers was also recorded using normal techniques of blood pressure measurement. The drivers with other sensorineural hearing loss factors, including presbycusis at ages over 40 and ototoxicity, were excluded from the study. Results: The drivers’ mean age was found to be 34.0±5.097 years, their mean work experience 11.19±5.158 years and their daily working hours 5-16 hours with a mean of 9.2±56.275 hours. The highest frequency of hearing loss was observed at a frequency of 4000 Hz in about 23% of the drivers, followed the prevalence observed at 8000 Hz. No significant differences were found between hearing thresholds of intra-city and intercity drivers. Moreover, significant relationships were observed between the level of hearing loss and factors such as age, work experience and the mean daily working hours. Conclusion: Hearing loss was observed in about one quarter of the drivers, suggesting a high frequency of noise-induced hearing loss in drivers despite the elimination of other factors contributing to sensorineural hearing loss.http://ismj.bpums.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-1-77&slc_lang=en&sid=1Noise-induced hearing losssensorineural hearing lossdriversheavy vehicles |
| spellingShingle | Shadi Pourshafie Zohreh Izadfard Sadegh Jafarzadeh The Effect of Vehicle Noise on Hearing Thresholds in Heavy Vehicle Drivers Iranian South Medical Journal Noise-induced hearing loss sensorineural hearing loss drivers heavy vehicles |
| title | The Effect of Vehicle Noise on Hearing Thresholds in Heavy Vehicle Drivers |
| title_full | The Effect of Vehicle Noise on Hearing Thresholds in Heavy Vehicle Drivers |
| title_fullStr | The Effect of Vehicle Noise on Hearing Thresholds in Heavy Vehicle Drivers |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Effect of Vehicle Noise on Hearing Thresholds in Heavy Vehicle Drivers |
| title_short | The Effect of Vehicle Noise on Hearing Thresholds in Heavy Vehicle Drivers |
| title_sort | effect of vehicle noise on hearing thresholds in heavy vehicle drivers |
| topic | Noise-induced hearing loss sensorineural hearing loss drivers heavy vehicles |
| url | http://ismj.bpums.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-1-77&slc_lang=en&sid=1 |
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