Abstract
The study of high frequencies has proven its importance for detecting inner ear damage. In some cases, conventional frequencies are not sensitive enough to pick up early changes to the inner ear.AimTo analyze the results of threshold high frequency analysis of individuals exposed to noise with normal conventional audiometry.Materials and MethodsThis was a retrospective cross-sectional cohort study, in which we studied 47 firefighters of the Fire Department of Rio de Janeiro, based on Santos Dumont airport and 33 military men without noise exposure. They were broken down into two age groups: 30-39years and 40-49years. The high frequencies were studied immediately after conventional audiometry.ResultsThe results were most significant in the 40 to 49 years of age range, where the experimental group showed significantly higher threshold values than the control group 14000Hz (p = 0.008) and 16,000Hz (p = 0.0001).ConclusionsWe concluded that noise interfered with high frequency thresholds, where all the mean values found in the experimental group were higher than those in the control group. We suggest that these data reinforce the importance of studying high frequencies, even with normal conventional audiometry in the early detection of noise-induced hearing loss.
Highlights
According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)[1], hearing loss induced by high sound pressure levels (HLIHSPL) is the most common irreversible occupational disease in the world
We concluded that noise interfered with high frequency thresholds, where all the mean values found in the experimental group were higher than those in the control group
We suggest that these data reinforce the importance of studying high frequencies, even with normal conventional audiometry in the early detection of noise-induced hearing loss
Summary
According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)[1], hearing loss induced by high sound pressure levels (HLIHSPL) is the most common irreversible occupational disease in the world. There is only one legally accepted method to diagnose HLIHSPL: conventional subjective audiological evaluation. This type of hearing loss is characterized by irreversibility and the gradual progression with risk exposure time. The higher frequencies are the first to be affected in some ear diseases (presbycusis, drug-induced ototoxic effect, otitis media sequela, noise-induced hearing loss, and others (Dieroff et al.[2]; Dreschler et al.[3], Mattews et al.[4], Fernandes et al.[5], Ferreira et al.[6]). One of the main clinical applications of high frequency audiometry would be the early detection of these disorders even before it shows up in conventional audiometry, when it can be considered a hearing loss
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