Socioacusis

Socioacusis is a professional hearing loss. It is a perceptual cochlear hearing loss that most often arises in connection with a long term stay in a noisy work environment. There is damage to the hair cells of the inner ear and higher levels of the auditory pathway.

Epidemiology
Workers at airports, train stations, truck drivers, blacksmiths, workers in industry who do not use hearing protection devices, etc. are most often affected.

Factors Affecting Damage

 * Noise intensity – adverse effect from 80 dB;
 * time – the worst are repeated explosions, bangs, etc. (defensive reflexes of the stapedius muscle and the tensor tympani muscle are not sufficient to adapt);
 * frequency composition of noise – medium and high noise components are worse;
 * total noise exposure time.

Clinical signs
Clinical symptoms usually appear gradually:
 * 1) feeling of ears falling;
 * 2) tinnitus;
 * 3) headache;
 * 4) on the audiogram, we observe a decrease in the hearing threshold after exposure to noise, which then returns to normal;
 * 5) hearing threshold ‘’’drop to a frequency of 4 kHz’’’, returning to normal after rest;
 * 6) permanent hearing loss.

Treatment
In the case of professional hearing loss, the changes are irreversible. Only correction with a hearing aid is possible. Emphasis is placed on preventive measures – removing the source of noise, wearing protective equipment.