Classification of the level and the type of hearing loss based on the analysis of audiograms of workers exposed to high level of occupational noise
This paper presents some health effects of workers exposed to high occupational noise for a long period. The main objective of this study was to classify the level and the type of hearing loss of such workers plus to study the effects on their health. Out of a sample of 99 workers exposed to 85 dB(A...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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University of Ruhuna
2022-06-01
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| Series: | Ruhuna Journal of Science |
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| Online Access: | https://www.rjs.ruh.ac.lk/index.php/rjs/article/view/302/346 |
| _version_ | 1818084520406024192 |
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| author | S.M.N. Sethunga J.A.P. Bodhika U.I.P. Abeysuriya W.G.D. Dharmaratna S.A. Wickramasinghe |
| author_facet | S.M.N. Sethunga J.A.P. Bodhika U.I.P. Abeysuriya W.G.D. Dharmaratna S.A. Wickramasinghe |
| author_sort | S.M.N. Sethunga |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This paper presents some health effects of workers exposed to high occupational noise for a long period. The main objective of this study was to classify the level and the type of hearing loss of such workers plus to study the effects on their health. Out of a sample of 99 workers exposed to 85 dB(A) or more occupational noise, 73 (74%) workers who were exposed over 40 hours per week for five years or more were selected for this study. Their hearing levels were tested audio-metrically and audiograms of Air Conduction (AC) and Bone Conduction (BC) measurements were taken. Depending on the degree of Hearing Loss (HL) of audiograms, the sample was classified into Normal hearing (0-25 dB(A)): 10.5%, Mild HL (26-40 dB(A)): 67.0%, Moderate HL (41-55 dB(A)): 21.75%, and Moderate-to-severe HL (56-70 dB(A)): 0.75%. None of these falls into Severe HL or Profound HL categories. Based on the HL and the configuration of audiograms of AC and BC measurements, 89.5% of the sample was classified as Conductive Hearing Loss (CHL 2.25%), Sensorineural Hearing Loss (SNHL 85.75%), and Mixed Hearing Loss (MHL 1.5%). Some SNHL samples were identified as Meniere’s disease 19%, Acoustic Trauma 12%, and Noise-Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL) 6%. NIHL were recorded among highly exposed workers to noise in the frequency range 3000-6000 Hz. Percentage statistics of various levels of hearing levels along with associated symptoms based on the response to the questionnaire are also presented.
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| first_indexed | 2024-12-10T19:55:12Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-91759e1d1e8e46f5ae8f4e5a93471a16 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2536-8400 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-10T19:55:12Z |
| publishDate | 2022-06-01 |
| publisher | University of Ruhuna |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ruhuna Journal of Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-91759e1d1e8e46f5ae8f4e5a93471a162022-12-22T01:35:41ZengUniversity of RuhunaRuhuna Journal of Science2536-84002022-06-01131616910.4038/rjs.v13i1.116Classification of the level and the type of hearing loss based on the analysis of audiograms of workers exposed to high level of occupational noiseS.M.N. Sethunga 0J.A.P. Bodhika1https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5703-1500U.I.P. Abeysuriya2W.G.D. Dharmaratna3S.A. Wickramasinghe4Department of Physics, University of Ruhuna, Matara, Sri LankaDepartment of Physics, University of Ruhuna, Matara, Sri LankaENT Unit, Teaching Hospital, Karapitiya, Galle, Sri LankaDepartment of Physics, University of Ruhuna, Matara, Sri LankaENT Unit, Teaching Hospital, Karapitiya, Galle, Sri LankaThis paper presents some health effects of workers exposed to high occupational noise for a long period. The main objective of this study was to classify the level and the type of hearing loss of such workers plus to study the effects on their health. Out of a sample of 99 workers exposed to 85 dB(A) or more occupational noise, 73 (74%) workers who were exposed over 40 hours per week for five years or more were selected for this study. Their hearing levels were tested audio-metrically and audiograms of Air Conduction (AC) and Bone Conduction (BC) measurements were taken. Depending on the degree of Hearing Loss (HL) of audiograms, the sample was classified into Normal hearing (0-25 dB(A)): 10.5%, Mild HL (26-40 dB(A)): 67.0%, Moderate HL (41-55 dB(A)): 21.75%, and Moderate-to-severe HL (56-70 dB(A)): 0.75%. None of these falls into Severe HL or Profound HL categories. Based on the HL and the configuration of audiograms of AC and BC measurements, 89.5% of the sample was classified as Conductive Hearing Loss (CHL 2.25%), Sensorineural Hearing Loss (SNHL 85.75%), and Mixed Hearing Loss (MHL 1.5%). Some SNHL samples were identified as Meniere’s disease 19%, Acoustic Trauma 12%, and Noise-Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL) 6%. NIHL were recorded among highly exposed workers to noise in the frequency range 3000-6000 Hz. Percentage statistics of various levels of hearing levels along with associated symptoms based on the response to the questionnaire are also presented. https://www.rjs.ruh.ac.lk/index.php/rjs/article/view/302/346noise exposurehealth impactsaudiometric hearing testhearing threshold shift |
| spellingShingle | S.M.N. Sethunga J.A.P. Bodhika U.I.P. Abeysuriya W.G.D. Dharmaratna S.A. Wickramasinghe Classification of the level and the type of hearing loss based on the analysis of audiograms of workers exposed to high level of occupational noise Ruhuna Journal of Science noise exposure health impacts audiometric hearing test hearing threshold shift |
| title | Classification of the level and the type of hearing loss based on the analysis of audiograms of workers exposed to high level of occupational noise |
| title_full | Classification of the level and the type of hearing loss based on the analysis of audiograms of workers exposed to high level of occupational noise |
| title_fullStr | Classification of the level and the type of hearing loss based on the analysis of audiograms of workers exposed to high level of occupational noise |
| title_full_unstemmed | Classification of the level and the type of hearing loss based on the analysis of audiograms of workers exposed to high level of occupational noise |
| title_short | Classification of the level and the type of hearing loss based on the analysis of audiograms of workers exposed to high level of occupational noise |
| title_sort | classification of the level and the type of hearing loss based on the analysis of audiograms of workers exposed to high level of occupational noise |
| topic | noise exposure health impacts audiometric hearing test hearing threshold shift |
| url | https://www.rjs.ruh.ac.lk/index.php/rjs/article/view/302/346 |
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