The effect of occupational exposure to noise and chemical agents on hearing abilities

Arch Environ Occup Health. 2024 Jan 24:1-10. doi: 10.1080/19338244.2024.2305803. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTExposure to loud noise or chemical agents may cause hearing disorders such as tinnitus and recruitment, known as an increase in the perception of loudness in addition to hearing loss. Our study aims to evaluate the hearing abilities of hairdressers exposed to noise and chemical agents in the working environment. The study included one hundred hairdressers and one hundred participants who do not work as hairdressers or are nonworkers. The participants' demographic characteristics, working conditions, and auditory complaints were questioned, and each participant completed the Speech, Spatial, and Qualities of Hearing Scale (SSQ). A statistically significant difference was found between the two groups in speech perception, spatial perception, hearing quality, and general SSQ scores. Hairdressers' SSQ scores were significantly lower in all sub-dimensions and general scale scores (p < 0.001). The auditory complaints of the hairdressers and the low SSQ scores indicate that exposure to noise and chemical agents affects the hairdressers' hearing system.PMID:38265067 | DOI:10.1080/19338244.2024.2305803
Source: Archives of Environmental and Occupational Health - Category: Environmental Health Authors: Source Type: research