Abstract
The objective of this study was to verify an association between noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) and tinnitus in workers exposed to occupational noise. Workers with a history of work noise exposure who attended two audiology outpatient clinics were interviewed and evaluated. The statistical association between NIHL and tinnitus was evaluated using an adjusted linear regression model, with tinnitus as the dependent variable and NIHL, classified into six levels, as the independent variable, with age and length of noise exposure as covariates. Data were collected from 284 workers between April and October, 2003, in Bauru, São Paulo State, Brazil. Tinnitus was observed to increase with the progression of auditory damage, controlled by age and length of noise exposure. These results suggest that investment in hearing conservation programs is needed, especially for source noise emission control and for intervention in hearing loss progression that is caused by noise exposure, in order to maintain auditory health and reduce the associated symptoms.
Highlights
The objective of this study was to verify an association between noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) and tinnitus in workers exposed to occupational noise
Data were collected from 284 workers between April and October, 2003, in Bauru, São Paulo State, Brazil
Tinnitus was observed to increase with the progression of auditory damage, controlled by age and length of noise exposure
Summary
A Tabela 2 mostra a distribuição dos trabalhadores quanto à ocupação. Ao se ajustar o modelo de regressão logística, verificou-se associação significativa entre perda auditiva induzida pelo ruído e zumbido, controlada a idade e o tempo de exposição ao ruído. Andrade & Schochat 22 avaliaram 7.043 trabalhadores expostos a ruídos intensos no Município de São Paulo, encontrando prevalências entre 30 e 55%, de acordo com o ramo de atividade. Cordeiro et al 25 encontraram prevalência de PAIR em torno de 45% entre 292 motoristas e cobradores de veículos coletivos na Cidade de Campinas, enquanto Martins et al 26, em estudo desenvolvido em Bauru, encontraram a patologia em 37% dos trabalhadores com o mesmo perfil profissional. Que envolveu trabalhadores expostos ao ruído sem distinção entre a exposição em ambiente industrial ou não industrial de acordo com o apresentado na Tabela 2 (isto é, a massa laboriosa como um grupo heterogêneo quanto à exposição), a prevalência encontrada foi de, aproximadamente, 63%.
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