Workplace Study on Tinnitus
A large clinical study conducted by researchers from the Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark and the National Institute of Occupational Health, Copenhagen, Denmark seems to confirms that in average non-industrial work environments the chance of tinnitus is low for individuals with normal hearing but as might be expected, higher for those individuals with some type of hearing-related issue. The study’s assessment that ongoing noise exposure in offices, or perhaps large retail environments and other non-industrial settings, has statistically little chance of causing tinnitus in those with normal hearing seems obvious. Or is it?
The abstract of the study published in the International Journal of Audiology can be seen below. We welcome comments by qualified individuals who can help to explain the significance (if any) of this study.
Brent Curtis – Editor
Excerpted abstract from the International Journal of Audiology
The risk of tinnitus following occupational noise exposure in workers with hearing loss or normal hearing
"The purpose was to investigate the relationship between noise exposure and tinnitus among workers with normal hearing and hearing loss, respectively. We conducted a cross-sectional survey of 752 workers employed at 91 workplaces that were investigated by means of full work-shift noise levels, questionnaire data, and bilateral pure-tone audiometry. Tinnitus was not associated with the present noise level, the duration of noise exposure, or the cumulative noise exposure if participants had normal hearing. As expected, such trends were demonstrated if participants had a hearing handicap. Based on these data, we will be cautious in ascribing tinnitus to noise exposure in our patients’ workplaces if they have a normal audiogram. Furthermore our data indicates no risk of noise-induced tinnitus at exposure levels where no hearing loss would be expected, e.g. as usually encountered in non-industrial workplaces."
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A large clinical study conducted by researchers from the Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark and the National Institute of Occupational Health, Copenhagen, Denmark seems to confirms that in average non-industrial work environments the chance of tinnitus is low for individuals with normal hearing but as might be expected, higher for those individuals with some type of hearing-related issue. The study’s assessment that ongoing noise exposure in offices, or perhaps large retail environments and other non-industrial settings, has statistically little chance of causing tinnitus in those with normal hearing seems obvious. Or is it?
The abstract of the study published in the International Journal of Audiology can be seen below. We welcome comments by qualified individuals who can help to explain the significance (if any) of this study.
Brent Curtis – Editor
Excerpted abstract from the International Journal of Audiology
The risk of tinnitus following occupational noise exposure in workers with hearing loss or normal hearing
"The purpose was to investigate the relationship between noise exposure and tinnitus among workers with normal hearing and hearing loss, respectively. We conducted a cross-sectional survey of 752 workers employed at 91 workplaces that were investigated by means of full work-shift noise levels, questionnaire data, and bilateral pure-tone audiometry. Tinnitus was not associated with the present noise level, the duration of noise exposure, or the cumulative noise exposure if participants had normal hearing. As expected, such trends were demonstrated if participants had a hearing handicap. Based on these data, we will be cautious in ascribing tinnitus to noise exposure in our patients’ workplaces if they have a normal audiogram. Furthermore our data indicates no risk of noise-induced tinnitus at exposure levels where no hearing loss would be expected, e.g. as usually encountered in non-industrial workplaces."
