IJERPH, Vol. 16, Pages 3958: Tinnitus and Self-Perceived Hearing Handicap in Firefighters: A Cross-Sectional Study

IJERPH, Vol. 16, Pages 3958: Tinnitus and Self-Perceived Hearing Handicap in Firefighters: A Cross-Sectional Study International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph16203958 Authors: Samson Jamesdaniel Kareem G. Elhage Rita Rosati Samiran Ghosh Bengt Arnetz James Blessman Firefighters are susceptible to auditory dysfunction due to long-term exposure to noise from sirens, air horns, equipment, and tools used in forcible entry, ventilation, and extrication. In addition, they are exposed to ototoxic chemicals, particularly, during overhaul operations. Studies indicate that 40% of firefighters have hearing loss in the noise-sensitive frequencies of 4 and 6 kHz. Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is often accompanied by tinnitus, which is characterized by ringing noise in the ears. The presence of phantom sounds can adversely affect the performance of firefighters. However, there has been limited research conducted on the prevalence of tinnitus in firefighters. We enrolled firefighters from Michigan, with at least 5 years of continuous service. The hearing handicap inventory for adults (HHIA) was used to determine the difficulty in hearing perceived by the firefighters and the tinnitus functional index (TFI) was used to determine the severity of tinnitus. Self-perceived hearing handicap was reported by 36% of the participants, while tinnitus was reported by 48% of the participants. The TFI survey indicated that 31% perceived tinn...
Source: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health - Category: Environmental Health Authors: Tags: Article Source Type: research