Impact of previous work in the conditions of industrial noise on the development of sensorineural hearing loss in the outcome of a military injury.

Abstract

The results of a survey of militia members - industrial workers aged 35-39 years who had previously worked in the conditions of industrial noise are presented. As a result of a military trauma (combined head injury, acutrauma, barotrauma) they developed sensorineural hearing loss. The level of hearing loss and the degree of involvement in the pathological process of the sound-perceiving apparatus is related to the length of work experience in the conditions of industrial noise. For persons who worked in conditions of constant low-amplitude broadband noise (n=30), hearing loss is more pronounced compared to persons (n=30) who worked in conditions of pulsed high-frequency high-amplitude noise. In the control group (35-39 years, n=30), who previously worked outside of industrial noise, the level of hearing loss is determined by the frequency of traumatic brain injury and is associated with the formation of post-traumatic osteochondrosis and vertebrobasilar insufficiency.