Socioacusis

Use of protective equipment when working in noise

Ear plugs (plugs) as a prevention of social acusis

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[edit | edit source]

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[edit | edit source]

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[edit | edit source]

Clinical symptoms usually appear gradually:

feeling of ears falling;
tinnitus;
headache;
on the audiogram, we observe a decrease in the hearing threshold after exposure to noise, which then returns to normal;
hearing threshold drop to a frequency of 4 kHz, returning to normal after rest;
permanent hearing loss.

Treatment[edit | edit source]

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.

Links[edit | edit source]

Source[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

KLOZAR, Jan, et al. Speciální otorinolaryngologie. 1. edition. Galén, 2005. 224 pp. ISBN 80-7262-346-X.